A Little Magic

A merry little vibe hit me, so I typed it as I was led. I hope you enjoy.]

The year was 1632. Little Anna had just lost her mother to a mysterious illness that was spreading across the village. The service was long gone. The springtime plot was now growing grass. The mourners had moved on with their lives. But not Anna. Tomorrow was supposed to be a festive day of happiness, but today it was not.

The trees had been cut and mounted. The branches had been adorned with stringed whatevers and a single topper. Anna sat alone in the darkness, cross-legged in front of a stone which bore her last name. Her first eve since the others stopped crying. She made up for them under the moonlight.

Night's pull eventually exhausted her, and she laid down and slept, draped across the last name grass.

Christmas morning came and she woke to the twinkling of lights and the smell of cedar. A giant tree, decorated with brilliance and wonder looked down at her.

"What the-" she thought. "How did this get here?'

She ran into town and asked everyone she met if they had placed it there while she was asleep. No one did. She suggested it was magic from the afterlife. No one believed her. Until one small child became curious. They followed her to the plot, laid eyes upon the tree, and quickly ran to tell everyone what he had seen. They believed him but dismissed it with a 'logical reason,' assumption.

The following year, Anna and her friend visited the plot, determined to solve the mystery. But as time went by, they both eventually fell asleep, despite their greatest attempts. The next morning, another tree had taken its place. Different in size, shape and decor. Once again, Anna was amazed. But this time she was not alone. They both ran into town and told everyone what had happened. Once again, the town's folk dismissed their young 'imaginations.' All but one. An older individual became curious. She was shown the tree and promised to join them next year on Christmas eve. And she did. But this time, she convinced two others to join them.

The five vowed to stay awake the entire night and solve the mystery. But nightfall was stronger than their determinations. Christmas morning, new tree, new shape, new decorations, and five voices trying to get the entire community to believe them.

The years passed and one by one, a new member decided to see what all of the fuss was about. One by one, another believer was born.

"Do you think your mom is doing this?" one asked.

"I don't know."

Time passed by. Eventually, every single member of the community spent the night in the tiny graveyard. Every year, not one single person had the stamina to last the night. But no one cared. Every single year, a community came together to witness the wonder of magic and family.

For the next three hundred years, this entire community left their homes and ventured out to this tiny, gated parcel of land. Every year, they witnessed a miracle, something no one could explain. Every year, little Anna was loved by the entire community for somehow bringing them all together. Every year, Christmas Eve and day was a festive reminder that magic can happen and when family gathers ... love abounds.

Anna grew. But the stories about her, for centuries to come, always referenced her as 'Little Anna, the girl who believed for all of us.'

Merry Christmas, to you all. Think about Little Anna as you go about your day.