Most Memorable Christmas

When I was in third grade what I thought was going to be the worst Christmas ever turned out to be my favorite.
I could tell something was wrong. It was Christmas Eve and I could hear my parents saying things like "maybe it was stolen" or "are you sure you put it there" and "what are we going to do if we don't find them". After a while all of us kids caught on that they had lost some presents. I was the youngest of five kids, the next oldest was in sixth grade. I thought that they lost some presents for each of us, but as the night went on I realized it was just my presents. My mom pulled me aside and let me know that they couldn't find my presents. They had hid them at my Grandma's house, who was on a mission, and the presents were no longer there.
I remember sitting on her lap and crying and she was crying too. I wasn't sure at the time if Santa was real or not and I remember telling my mom that if I told her that I still think Santa is real will he bring my presents. She informed me what I had feared, Santa wasn't real, and I wouldn't be getting any presents. Since it was Christmas Eve all the stores were closed. It was what I thought was the worst news ever.
I went to bed crying and I remember praying for presents.
When we woke up the next morning, every one was so excited to see what they were getting. I was surprised to see a small present under the tree with my name on it. I opened it up and it was several hand written "Love Coupons" from my mom.
She had made me several different coupons to use when ever I wanted. They ranged from her sewing me a new outfit to having two good listening ears any time I needed to talk and several other different kinds of coupons to redeem any time I chose. I sat on the floor and cried. I felt so selfish for how I had acted the night before. I looked up and my mom was sitting on the floor surrounded by her unopened presents crying. She gave me a big hug and reassured me that in the morning we could go shopping and buy me some Christmas presents to replace the ones that were lost.

I used up some of the coupons right away but I saved the most important one. I never used the one that was good for two listening ears. I never needed to use it. She was always there any time I needed someone to to talk to. I saved it in my top drawer and would look at it a couple times a year and would remember how loved I felt that Christmas morning. My mom is one of my best friends and is always there to talk to.

Well, in the spring my Grandma came home from her mission and did a little bit of spring cleaning. She found the presents in the same closet that my parents had put them in...maybe they never were supposed to find them!