A Christmas Poem

Christmas in a Recession
His credit card can take no more abuse,
He’s deep in debt from its overuse.
The bill collectors are breathing down his neck,
All he’s praying for is a miracle check.

He does what he has to do to survive.
Some mornings he’s surprised to find he’s alive.
He walks to the store to save the gas,
The cars spray winter sludge as they whiz past.

As he walks through the door
There’s sadness on his face.
He didn’t use to be poor,
He used to enjoy the ornaments all over the place.

He strides towards the bikes
And finds the one his son likes.
For his daughters he gets coats,
He knows what they want because they both left him notes.

He gets his wife a watch to wear at her cuff,
Wishing he could get her more.
He knows nothing would ever be enough,
Not even the whole store.

He pulls out his calculator
As he rides down the escalator.
He hopes the numbers are merciful to him
He wishes he had the jolly spirit of Tiny Tim.

He carefully counts out each precious cent
As the cashier casually grabs all the money he spent.
He drops his last two dollars into the fundraising jar
Instead of using the money to stop by the bar.

Christmas morning arrives too fast,
The man knows it won’t be like years past.
There aren’t as many presents under the tree,
Yet the kids are still just as full of holiday glee.

He knows the value of Christmas day
Doesn’t depend on the value of a buck.
It’s about the baby who brought the light ray,
Not about good fortune or luck.

The day is still sacred
Whether well-clothed or naked.
It’s about one man’s holy sacrifice,
Not about the tv ad’s lies.

The man looks at his wife and sees love in her eye,
That look alone almost makes him cry.
He doesn’t need a lot of money or stuff,
He has joy and that’s more than enough.

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS

My dog Reece

I'm not one of those people who wants to bring home every poor little animal I see. I've never asked my parents for an animal to be just MINE before (except for my horse, but I bought her so that was different). But this is different.

Every aspiring vet needs their own dog. I've always dreamed of becoming a vet and living in a big empty house with just my dog for company. You know, I never expected to find my dog before I actually make it into vet school, but I did. I found my dog. The kind of dog I want to have around for 15+ years.

He is a very good-looking dog. Tall, dark, and handsome. He's black and tan, looks like a Reese cup, and thus his name is Reece. He's a doberman, lab, german shepherd mix so he has a really well-rounded personality. Reece is a superb watchdog, loves to play, and is so sweet and well-behaved.

I get to see Reece a few times a week because he's up for adoption at the animal hospital I work at. I didn't get the whole story, but for some reason his old owners had to give him up. He has now been living at the hospital for nearly 2 months, and he still doesn't have a home. Over Thanksgiving break, I brought Reece home and he fit in so well here! He slept on the floor next to my bed and would stick his face in mine several times throughout the night to check on me. Once he noticed I was still breathing, he would promptly lay back down and go to sleep. We have this game where I jump around and shuffle my feet and he grabs my shoes with his mouth and doesnt let go until I tell him to. It's simply heart-warming. :D

Ok so what's the problem? My parents! They don't want another dog. So my sister, co-workers, and I have all been working on them for a month now, and I think we're slowly convincing them. I just don't see why we can't have another dog. We have a home. Reece needs a home. It's as simple as that! Reece is on the top of my Christmas list, as well as my sisters' lists. So fingers crossed that I get my dog for Christmas! Even if I never get to adopt him, he'll always be my dog. :)

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • RSS