Christmas on Coventry Way (WC 298)

Christmas on Coventry Way

The Christmas Spirit surrounded me as I drove through my childhood neighborhood, snow powdering my Honda.

Our subdivision looked the same—Christmas lights on almost every house. The Hendersons still had the best Christmas display in our neighborhood with its twinkling white lights and mechanical Santa and sleigh.

All except for our house; it sat at the end of Coventry Way, dark and dreary.

Scrooge must live there now.

I parked in front and got out. A snowflake landed on my nose. This took me back to Christmas 1995 when I was fourteen…



Dad and I pulled up in front of our house, the Scotch Pine strapped to the roof of our maroon Buick. The Christmas lights made our house glow.

“Lookin’ good, huh kiddo?” he said as we got out. “So Santa can always find you.”

“Cool!” I said as a snowflake landed on my nose and I crossed my eyes to see it before it melted.

Although the Hendersons always won Best of Neighborhood, we always won Best on the Block.

Dad and I carried the fragrant tree into the house and set it on the stand. My mom greeted us with hot chocolate and freshly baked snickerdoodles. We decorated the tree, sipped, munched, and sang Christmas songs.

“You better watch out; better not cry,” we’d sing, “better not pout I’m tellin’ you why…Santa Claus is comin’ to town.”

The star was the final touch. At fourteen, I could finally reach the top; Dad didn’t have to lift me.


Although my childhood home looked dark and dreary now, I remember it in 1995 when the Christmas Spirit was alive and well, and the twinkling lights made our loving home shine like a diamond in the snow “so Santa could always find me”.