Christmas Spirit
by Eve Sanchez

	The neighbors all agreed that Mrs Haderly had the most Christmas spirit of all of them. They often said she was an inspiration during the holidays. Mrs. Haderly had to be in her eighties and she lived alone. Every year Mrs. Haderly opened up her garage and took out her rickety wooden ladder. With many impressed on lookers Mrs. Haderly would climb up and down that ladder hanging lights and moving the ladder along as she went.	
	The neighbors were impressed when they saw Mrs. Haderly pull into her drive-way every year with a fresh cut tree that was purchased at the local charity tree lot strapped to the roof of her car. Many  neighbors watched with wonder as Mrs. Haderly cut the twine holding the tree in place so that it fell to the ground. Mrs. Haderly would then drag that tree into her house and set it up near the front window for all to see. Mrs. Haderly used her antique Christmas tree stand that caused the tree to lean to one side, but this did not bother her. Mrs. Haderly would be seen stringing lights around the tree before carefully hanging the most beautiful glass ornaments you would ever see.
	Mrs. Haderly would wrap the posts of her porch with garlands and holly. A wreath of green and gold with silver bells would hang from Mrs. Haderly's door to greet visitors. Mrs. Haderly would always bake small fruit cakes for the mail man and the paper boy. Mrs. Haderly would wrap these loaves with foil and ribbon. The neighbors saw her leaving these in the boxes and smile at Mrs. Haderly's generosity.
	When walking by Mrs. Haderly's house, Christmas classics sung by Bing Crosby, Burl Ives, and Nat King Cole could be heard playing. The neighbors would smile at Mrs. Haderly's Christmas spirit. “She's an inspiration to all of us.” they would say. In the front yard, to go with the carols being played was a plastic trio of carolers that Mrs. Haderly had placed out every year since 1968.  It would stay there until the end of the holiday season when Mrs. Haderly would take down the Christmas lights.
	The neighbors were impressed by Mrs. Haderly and her devotion to Christmas. Every night Mrs. Haderly would turn on the outside lights as well as the twinkling lights of her Christmas tree. Mrs. Haderly would then sit down in her recliner admiring the beauty of her tree topped with a porcelain and satin angel with feathery wings. As Christmas approached and the nights got chillier, Mrs. Haderly still ventured out to turn on her Christmas lights and inspired the neighbors with her spirit.
	On Christmas Eve Mrs. Haderly would bake cookies of many types. When evening came she would take the prettiest of these cookies and place them on a plate with a golden ribbon trimming it's scalloped edge. Mrs. Haderly would place these cookies on a small table next to her recliner facing the tree. Mrs. Haderly would sit and look at the tree with the colored lights and the ornaments from years past and fall asleep.
	On Christmas morning the tree would be the first thing Mrs. Haderly would see when she woke. The neighbors would be coming and going outside and seeing Mrs. Haderly's lights still on, they would smile about her Christmas spirit. “Mrs. Haderly is an inspiration to us all.” they would say. Sitting  alone in her recliner, looking at her tree, Mrs. Haderly would silently cry.