“CHRISTMAS TREASURES: A Collection of Heartwarming True Christmas Stories,” Covenant Communications, $6.99, 97 pages (nf)
A dozen authors who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have contributed Christmas stories in “Christmas Treasures.”
Each story comes with a tender and universal lesson about remembering the season of Christmas and how the true meaning of the season goes beyond material things and is reaching out to help others.
Some of the authors share childhood holiday memories, including 8-year-old Gale Sears’ search for a goose for Christmas dinner just like in “A Christmas Carol,” and 5-year-old Jennie Hansen’s memory of when it snowed so much, it almost prevented the mail from being delivered before Christmas. Or when a teenage Hank Smith spilled grape juice on his brand-new white shirt that he needed to be popular at school or how Jenny Proctor’s family was “rescued” when their car broke down on Christmas Eve by a man who had a long white beard and Cadillac.
Others share about their children or grandchildren, such as how Brent L. Top’s 3-year-old grandson who has a birth defect of no hand or lower left arm found peace in a baby Jesus with a broken-off left arm, how Shauna Humphreys felt when she came home to find her tree-decorating abilities had been upstaged by her children, or how Jennifer Moore’s 2-year-old son’s focus on the Nativity helped remind her of what matters at Christmas.
Other experiences are about parents or grandparents as Mike Winder and M.R. Durbin share experiences about their grandpa and father, respectively, and Richard J. Allen shares a lesson learned from his late mother when he received not one but two train sets for Christmas.
Kristen McKendry relates a friend’s experience of remembering a child who died as a teenager through the Christmas seasons.
A sister was what Jeanette Miller wanted, but the hurdles of adopting were nearly insurmountable for her family.
Each essay is only a few pages long and is easily enjoyed individually or collectively.
Email: rappleye@deseretnews.com Twitter: CTRappleye