Christmas of 1968

This is a true story of my Christmas in 1968.....its hard to remember what realy took place to begin this story it must have began when my father was layed off his job at the Lumber Mill he worked in outside of Kane Pa...it had been a bad winter with lots of snow and ice and it made it tough on the my fathers job...well anyway's before christmas my father explained to my Mom that there was'nt going to be much money for Christmas shopping and of coarse I knew what that ment that Santa might now make it to our house that year...My Mom worked in the Kane Diner on Main Street and I usualy helped her there after school every day ...sometimes I ate my lunch there, my favorite was chicken noodle soup n peanut butter sandwhichs...and Milk...so anyhow things was going well for the beginning of the month even with my father only getting a umemployment check we at least had a roof over our heads and we mainly ate at the diner and most the time we was allowed to take left overs home from the diner.My Mother belonged to the Salvation Army back then and the Captain asked her to put my name and my brother George's name in to recieve free gifts and food for the family for Christmas...So it was on Christmas eve this story realy takes place...my Father had been out looking for work all week long and my Mom was working late at the diner and we had just had a bad winter storm and the snow was as thick as pudding...it was around 5pm when she finaly got off work and she had to go get my 3years old little brother from a friend whom watched him during the time she was working...Me and Mom n brother went to the Salvation Army to pick up our Christmas packages mainly a small box of food and whatever toy's that was left over as we had gotten there late...Now this is where the story gets sad...me and my brother went into this small room with xmas decorations all over and setting on the table was a small tree with small ornaments and it played music..my brother was lucky enough to get a small wooden sled....he was realy happy with his sled but I was'nt quite so happy with the tree that was all that was left for me ....I turned the nob on the little tree and it began to play a song to this day I simply can't stand to hear Silent Night...of coarse then it did'nt seem to bother me so much cause I liked the sound of a music box...and it is a reminder of being thankfull for whatever you get for Christmas no matter how small or if it did'nt cost alot of $ as people now day's seems to think....but there's simply no way to lose the feeling I get when I remember the Christmas of 1968....the Song Silent Night still haunts me even now after 40yrs all I have to do is close my eyes and I can still see that little tree and I begin to cry like the little girl I was back then...The End....