Mom was the glue that held the family together. But now she was gone, and Christmas would not be the same. It had only been three months since her passing, and already the family was in disarray. Judy and Sharon wanted to sell the house, while Carol and Kathy could not bear to part with their childhood home. This lead to several heated arguments, between the sisters—to the point where they would go weeks without speaking. At this point it almost seemed easier to spend Christmas apart, except for one problem. Mom made them promise that they would spend this Christmas together. After much back and forth, they reluctantly agreed to keep with tradition and have Christmas one last time at Mom’s house.
As Christmas neared, Kathy began to dread facing her family once again. She wanted to enjoy the holiday. She didn’t want to spend it arguing. She loved her sisters. She only wished they could be a close family once more.
One evening after Mass, Kathy stayed behind to pray. A few minutes later, as she moved to get up she suddenly felt a soft hand touching her on the shoulder. She turned abruptly to find Mrs. Harrison. Mrs. Harrison was a lifetime member of the church and was about her mother’s age. She had just lost her husband of 52 years a few weeks earlier.
“What seems to be troubling you dear?” Mrs. Harrison asked.
“Oh Mrs. Harrison,” she exclaimed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there. How are you getting by? I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“I’m doing quite fine dear,” she replied. “It is difficult at times, but we had a good life together and I know Albert will always be with me. But how about you? You seem really down. Is it about your Mom?”
“No,” replied Kathy. “Well sort of. It’s a family issue. Things are just not going well with my sisters.”
“Oh dear,” said Mrs. Harrison. “Well no matter what the issue is, it’s best you settle it. Family is very important you know. I was an only child, so I never got the chance to have siblings of my own. So you best cherish them.”
“You’re right,” replied Kathy. “I guess I shouldn’t worry. I should just be fortunate I have a family to spend Christmas with. How about you? Are you doing anything special for Christmas?
“No Dear,” she replied. “I was just going to pay a visit to Albert and then perhaps take a stroll around the shrine. “
“You don’t have family to visit?” Kathy inquired.
“Albert has a couple siblings,” she replied. “But they live across the country and I am too old to be travelling all by myself. Besides, they all have their own children to spend it with.”
Kathy felt terrible. She knew she had to do something. “Come spend it with us then,” she replied. “My Mom’s house has plenty of space.”
“Oh no dear,” Mrs. Harrison responded. “I couldn’t intrude.”
“Nonsense!” exclaimed Kathy. “No one should be alone for Christmas. Besides, we’d love to have you. I’m not going to take No for an answer.”
Mrs. Harrison hesitated a bit. “Well, I guess I could come by for dinner. I won’t stay long though. You need your family time.”
Kathy waited until Christmas Day to tell her sister’s about their extra guest. When they heard the news, they were not pleased.
“You just invited her so you could avoid talking about the house issue,” Judy cursed.
“I think in your mind you are just trying to replace Mom,” argued Sharon.
“That’s ridiculous,” Kathy pleaded. “She’s just a lonely old lady with nowhere else to go on Christmas. What was I supposed to do?”
The arguing didn’t last long, as moments later Mrs. Harrison arrived. She had with her two big bags. The first bag held four of her delicious apple pies—the kind that always got high bids when auctioned off at church functions. The 2nd bag was a surprise that would have to wait until after dinner.
Dinner was cold—not the food but the atmosphere in the room. While there was plenty of life and horsing around at the kid’s table, the adult table was awkwardly silent. The men had their backs turned most of the time trying to catch the football game, while the sisters just kept their heads down and ate. Mrs. Harrison was the only one trying to make small talk, but with little success.
Finally, when all the plates were empty and the table cleared, Mrs. Harrison ventured quietly over to her bag and pulled out a book. It was a photo album. “Gather around,” she said. “I have something that I think will interest you.”
From the moment she opened the album she captured their attention. The first picture was of their Mom. She was about six at the time and sitting on the front step of that very house with another little girl.
“That’s me,” explained Mrs. Harrison. “You see, your Mom and I were best friends growing up. We did everything together. We went ice skating on the small pond just through those woods. We climbed that there apple tree. We went sledding down that hill. We played hide and seek in the basement of this house.”
Picture by picture they watched their Mom grow to be a teenager.
“As little girls we were inseparable,” explained Mrs. Harrison. “Eventually I went off to college while your Mom became a nurse and joined the navy. We each fell in love, and got married, and while we still socialized at church functions, we just sort of drifted apart. Though we still cared for one another we each had our own families to watch over. But to this day she remains the best friend I ever had—besides my Albert of course.”
Every photo told the story of their own childhood—same activities; same scenery, only it was their Mom in place of them.
“Being in this home brings back so many memories,” she explained. “Cherish those memories girls. I know I always will.”
With that, Mrs. Harrison reached back into her bag and pulled out four more albums. She handed one to each of the sisters. “I made copies of all of the pictures,” she said. “I want you to have them. I know your final memories of your Mom were when she was old and sick. But I also want you to be able to look back and get a chance to see that fun, energetic little girl that I always loved.”
There wasn’t a dry eye at the table, as each of the sisters clung to their albums and stepped up to give Mrs. Harrison a hug. For the next two hours they bombarded her with all kinds of questions about their Mom, and she answered every one of them, detailing every anecdote like it was yesterday. It was the greatest gift they could have asked for.
As evening came, Mrs. Harrison bid them all farewell and headed back home, leaving the four sisters to themselves.
“It’s getting late,” said Kathy. “I guess we should discuss the house.”
“I don’t think there is much to debate,” replied Sharon. “I’m so sorry. I was being selfish. You were right. We’re not selling. Perhaps, we can rent it out to our kids in the future, but it needs to stay in the family. It’s what Mom would have wanted.”
She was right. There was no debate. The next few hours were not spent arguing over details, but playing games and having fun. It was a great Christmas after all. They were a family once more. They had lost a mother, but they had gained a friend. And each holiday thereafter, there was always a place at the table for Mrs. Harrison.