“Ma’am, I know that Mike loved you desperately. Tad, I suspect that the last earthly thoughts your daddy had were of you. He would want you to take care of your mother and to never forget him.
“Well, I guess I will close. I salute you both. His men loved him, and a grateful country will never forget the ultimate sacrifice made by Lt. Michael Anderson.
“God Bless you both.
Sincerely, Sgt. Melvin Wyatts, United States Army {Combat Engineers}”
Mommy and I sat there a while holding each other. Mommy cried and I felt sad. I now knew that my daddy was not coming home.
Finally, Mommy picked me up, then sat me down and told me to hurry and get dressed, so we could go feed and water the animals. I dressed in my winter boots and coat with a hood. Mommy had her work coat and boots on so we went outside
Photo: pxhere.com
When we stepped off the porch the snow appeared lit up in beautiful colors. The wind no longer blew, but it was still snowing. Then we looked up. The entire house and barn were lighted in wondrous red, green, blue, and orange colors. Even the mailbox was aglow, protected at the top by a bright gold star.
“Daddy did come home for Christmas after all, didn’t he, Mommy?”
“Yes Tad, and your daddy will always live in our hearts. And someday we will all be together again.”
PS: There really was a little boy who lost his dad in the current war. His mother told me this story over dinner one evening. The names and places have been changed, but the happening and dialogues are essentially true. I took a point of writer’s privilege about the decorations outside. I am sure the LT wouldn’t mind.
