[xMas Story] A Merry Merry Sissy
Snow, snow, snow! Yay Santa! Dakota jumped up and down holding her teddy bear tight while looking at her bright white backyard through the bedroom window. A gentle snow storm pushed through overnight creating this stunningly beautiful Christmas morning. Icicles dangled from the roof. Each unique in its own way. Every snowflake an individual. Together forming a brilliant sight to see.
Pwesents!
More jumping up and down.
Yay! Pwesents! She kissed her teddy bear on the nose. The smell of snow, no. The aroma of home slowly worked its way up the stairs, passing every nook and cranny. family. Eggs, bacon, English muffins, sausage, spices, laughter, muffled conversations. The sound of sizzle.
Dakota held her teddy bear ever so close to her heart while stepping into her adorable pink fluffy slippers. Another kiss on the nose for teddy and a giggle.
“I wuvs you.” : )
After much wuv, pwenty of hugs, jumps and smiles, Dakota finally made her way downstairs.
“Dakota!” Her mother put down the spatula, ran over and gave her a warm, welcoming hug.
“Merry Christmas, honey.” Her Father Ho-Ho-Ho'ed from the lazy-boy chair with big, bright, bubbly red cheeks (He got started on the eggnog Waaayyyyyy too early). BELCH!
“Daddie!”
“Sorry, dear.” He refilled his mug.
"And how are you this Christmas morning?" Her mother asked.
Boom! Her smile radiated the room.
"It snowed last night." Dakota was so happy.
"Isn't it wonderful?" Her mother added.
"MmmHmmm." Dakota walked over to the couch in front of the fire place. The warmth was just right. Perfect. Though as happy as she was she still had something on her mind. Something she just couldn't stop thinking about. It was haunting her. Her mother scooped the sausages onto a plate, put them on the kitchen counter and yelled out loud "Food's up."
Dakota's father tried to stand. He stumbled, fumbled and worked his way over to the kitchen to Nom-Nom-Nom. Dakota's mother shook her head. "Use utensils you a****l!"
Nom-Nom-Nom.
"Pitiful." She walked over to the couch and sat down next to Dakota. "What's cooking good look'n?" She played.
"Can I ask you something mom?"
"Of course, anything."
Dakota looked up. When she made eye contact she began to tear up. "Mom . . ."
"What is it, dear?"
"Am I weird?"
Gentle hug. "Of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?"
"Well . . ." She looked down again.
"I am always here for you." Her mother said so gently.
"I am different and everyone knows it. What's wrong with me?"
Belch! "Skerss ma." Her father slurred. He was getting tipsy.
Dakota's mother hugged her very very close. "Oh sweetie, there is nothing wrong with you. You are unique and I love you very much."
"But still . . ."
"Listen sweetie, everyone is different. That's what makes us all unique in our own way."
"Well . . . true, I guess." Dakota replied. "But now and again I get picked on or made fun of and it hurts."
"People who make fun of other people are just insecure individuals who feel inferior and need to somehow raise their social status in a way that will make them seem to be superior. It's ridiculous. They're delusional." Her mother was throwing down philosophy Aristotle style. "They have no empathy. No compassion. Just emptiness. But you aren't like that are you?"
Dakota smiled. "No, I suppose I'm not."
"You're happy and friendly. You work hard and you care about others. Not to mention there are so many people who care about you."
Dakota felt much better.
"I will always love you and be here for you . . . Always."
Ding! Dong! The doorbell rang. The cling, the clang, the song it sang.
"Now, why don't you go answer the door while I make sure your father hasn't raided the uncooked ham."
Dakota giggled, got up, walked over and opened the front door. There were about a dozen people standing on the front stoop wearing red and green mix colored hats and scarves. All smiling. When they saw Dakota several of them gave her that look like "What the?" The look we are all familiar with. She immediately began to feel nervous, awkward, strange. An outcast.
One of them stepped forward. "Are you . . ."
"Yes! Yes! I'm a freak." Dakota burst out and covered her eyes feeling shame and disgrace. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. One of the young girls in the group comforted her. "It's okay, I have a very close friend who is Trans . . . I forget the word."
"Transgender?" Dakota perked up and uncovered her eyes.
"Yes. That's it. Transgender. He is a really nice person and . . . I mean SHE is a really nice person and we have a lot of fun together. Sorry, I'm still getting used to all the lingo, it is all very new to me. She only opened up to me about three weeks ago."
"Was she happy?" Dakota asked, desperately seeking an answer.
"Oh yes, very much. We chatted about it for hours and then we just watched a movie and talked about things."
One of the boys in the group stepped forward. "My older brother is gay and he is still my brother. And that's that."
Another girl stepped forward. "You are not alone."
(((Hmmmmmmmmmm))). The group leader chanted in the key of C.
They all formed together in a straight line as one unit . . .
"Come . . . they told me . . . Pa rum pum pum pum." They began singing together.
Dakota's mother and father walked over with their arms around each other as the carolers shared the joy of the holiday spirit. Dakota looked at her parents and then back at the group of singers and realized . . . it was all okay. All of her fears and pains were based only on that small group of individuals who harassed her. The vast majority of people were on her side. Her mother put her arm around Dakota as well. They all enjoyed the moment together. Christmas carolers.
"Merry Christmas!" The carolers cheered when they finished singing and moved on to the next house while ringing bells. Ding Dong, Ding Dong.
Dakota and her family spent the next few hours opening presents, enjoying treats and sharing love with each another. When it was all over (and her father had passed out on the couch due to the excessive eggnog abuse) Dakota and her mother sat down and had a little chit chat.
"Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?" Her mother asked.
"Yes, very much." Dakota was holding a book in her hand that she always wanted.
"What gift did you like the most?"
Dakota thought about it for a moment and then smiled up at her mother . . . "The gift of acceptance." she answered.
Pwesents!
More jumping up and down.
Yay! Pwesents! She kissed her teddy bear on the nose. The smell of snow, no. The aroma of home slowly worked its way up the stairs, passing every nook and cranny. family. Eggs, bacon, English muffins, sausage, spices, laughter, muffled conversations. The sound of sizzle.
Dakota held her teddy bear ever so close to her heart while stepping into her adorable pink fluffy slippers. Another kiss on the nose for teddy and a giggle.
“I wuvs you.” : )
After much wuv, pwenty of hugs, jumps and smiles, Dakota finally made her way downstairs.
“Dakota!” Her mother put down the spatula, ran over and gave her a warm, welcoming hug.
“Merry Christmas, honey.” Her Father Ho-Ho-Ho'ed from the lazy-boy chair with big, bright, bubbly red cheeks (He got started on the eggnog Waaayyyyyy too early). BELCH!
“Daddie!”
“Sorry, dear.” He refilled his mug.
"And how are you this Christmas morning?" Her mother asked.
Boom! Her smile radiated the room.
"It snowed last night." Dakota was so happy.
"Isn't it wonderful?" Her mother added.
"MmmHmmm." Dakota walked over to the couch in front of the fire place. The warmth was just right. Perfect. Though as happy as she was she still had something on her mind. Something she just couldn't stop thinking about. It was haunting her. Her mother scooped the sausages onto a plate, put them on the kitchen counter and yelled out loud "Food's up."
Dakota's father tried to stand. He stumbled, fumbled and worked his way over to the kitchen to Nom-Nom-Nom. Dakota's mother shook her head. "Use utensils you a****l!"
Nom-Nom-Nom.
"Pitiful." She walked over to the couch and sat down next to Dakota. "What's cooking good look'n?" She played.
"Can I ask you something mom?"
"Of course, anything."
Dakota looked up. When she made eye contact she began to tear up. "Mom . . ."
"What is it, dear?"
"Am I weird?"
Gentle hug. "Of course not. Why would you ask such a thing?"
"Well . . ." She looked down again.
"I am always here for you." Her mother said so gently.
"I am different and everyone knows it. What's wrong with me?"
Belch! "Skerss ma." Her father slurred. He was getting tipsy.
Dakota's mother hugged her very very close. "Oh sweetie, there is nothing wrong with you. You are unique and I love you very much."
"But still . . ."
"Listen sweetie, everyone is different. That's what makes us all unique in our own way."
"Well . . . true, I guess." Dakota replied. "But now and again I get picked on or made fun of and it hurts."
"People who make fun of other people are just insecure individuals who feel inferior and need to somehow raise their social status in a way that will make them seem to be superior. It's ridiculous. They're delusional." Her mother was throwing down philosophy Aristotle style. "They have no empathy. No compassion. Just emptiness. But you aren't like that are you?"
Dakota smiled. "No, I suppose I'm not."
"You're happy and friendly. You work hard and you care about others. Not to mention there are so many people who care about you."
Dakota felt much better.
"I will always love you and be here for you . . . Always."
Ding! Dong! The doorbell rang. The cling, the clang, the song it sang.
"Now, why don't you go answer the door while I make sure your father hasn't raided the uncooked ham."
Dakota giggled, got up, walked over and opened the front door. There were about a dozen people standing on the front stoop wearing red and green mix colored hats and scarves. All smiling. When they saw Dakota several of them gave her that look like "What the?" The look we are all familiar with. She immediately began to feel nervous, awkward, strange. An outcast.
One of them stepped forward. "Are you . . ."
"Yes! Yes! I'm a freak." Dakota burst out and covered her eyes feeling shame and disgrace. Then she felt a hand on her shoulder. One of the young girls in the group comforted her. "It's okay, I have a very close friend who is Trans . . . I forget the word."
"Transgender?" Dakota perked up and uncovered her eyes.
"Yes. That's it. Transgender. He is a really nice person and . . . I mean SHE is a really nice person and we have a lot of fun together. Sorry, I'm still getting used to all the lingo, it is all very new to me. She only opened up to me about three weeks ago."
"Was she happy?" Dakota asked, desperately seeking an answer.
"Oh yes, very much. We chatted about it for hours and then we just watched a movie and talked about things."
One of the boys in the group stepped forward. "My older brother is gay and he is still my brother. And that's that."
Another girl stepped forward. "You are not alone."
(((Hmmmmmmmmmm))). The group leader chanted in the key of C.
They all formed together in a straight line as one unit . . .
"Come . . . they told me . . . Pa rum pum pum pum." They began singing together.
Dakota's mother and father walked over with their arms around each other as the carolers shared the joy of the holiday spirit. Dakota looked at her parents and then back at the group of singers and realized . . . it was all okay. All of her fears and pains were based only on that small group of individuals who harassed her. The vast majority of people were on her side. Her mother put her arm around Dakota as well. They all enjoyed the moment together. Christmas carolers.
"Merry Christmas!" The carolers cheered when they finished singing and moved on to the next house while ringing bells. Ding Dong, Ding Dong.
Dakota and her family spent the next few hours opening presents, enjoying treats and sharing love with each another. When it was all over (and her father had passed out on the couch due to the excessive eggnog abuse) Dakota and her mother sat down and had a little chit chat.
"Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?" Her mother asked.
"Yes, very much." Dakota was holding a book in her hand that she always wanted.
"What gift did you like the most?"
Dakota thought about it for a moment and then smiled up at her mother . . . "The gift of acceptance." she answered.
9 years ago
