Friday, December 21, 2012

The Christmas Tree: A Short Christmas Story of Hope and Belief in One's Dreams...by Mark Arnold


Part VIII
Conclusion


T
he stadium went nuts, fans and media spilling onto the field and everyone wanting to interview and take pictures of the quarterback. It took a while for things to calm down. At last, though he was able to shower and get dressed.
                                                 
Several hours later most of the press was gone and most of the players were on their way to the team’s post game party. Leaving the locker room, the quarterback was on his way to his car when he heard someone call him from behind. He turned and instantly recognized number 43 from the other team.

“You played a helluva game!” 43 said.

“Thanks!” said the quarterback. “So did you.”

43 was silent for a moment, then he smiled, “You know,” he said, “I had that split end in my pocket the whole day. Where in the hell did you come up with that last play? I know your coach and there is no way he called that.”

The quarterback laughed. “Oh, that play,” he said. “That’s just a little thing we call ‘Christmas Tree’. Glad you liked it.”

“Oh Yeah…” said 43 cynically, while chuckling and shaking his head. “Liked it a lot!”

The quarterback shook 43’s hand and then stood alone watching as 43 turned to walk away. Closing his eyes, he thought again of the kind man and the Christmas Tree he had created in his mind all those years before. He had learned something that day…the power of his own dreams…and that regardless of the circumstances confronting him, no matter how bad, he could still create for himself a reality exactly as he wanted it to be. While he had never seen the kind man again, or heard from him, the quarterback was certain there had been times since that cold Christmas Eve that the man was somehow in communication with him, not in any physical sense, but in a way the quarterback did not entirely understand. It was something he just accepted as true because he felt it was. With his eyes still closed the quarterback tilted his head skyward…

“Thank you!” he whispered. “How can I ever repay you?”

Suddenly, deep within the quarterback’s mind, came a response. Distinct and clear, he heard the kind man’s voice speaking…

“You're welcome son!” said the voice. “Just help people, that’s all. Just help others. Do that and you will have more than repaid me for any help I provided you.”

A little surprised at first, the quarterback laughed to himself. He directed a thought to the kind man thanking him again and letting him know that he would do his best to help people when and wherever he could and that from that moment on helping others would be the overriding purpose of his life.

A few moments later, still smiling, the quarterback continued the walk to his car.

The End

Copyright © 2012 by Mark Arnold
All Rights Reserved

No comments:

Post a Comment