Yes Foxy thanks for a great thread.
My story was not well told, it was 6 pm when that check was cashed.
I alone in my family knew just how close our Christmas had come to being ruined,
But we made it, and I never told mum and kids how close we had come to camp pie for Christmas.
Another post reminds me of mums last Christmas, we did not know as we packed many of her kids grand kids and great grand kids 37 in all, into a farm house.
5 unexpected arrived ,so made it stretch.
Strange every Christmas in my family is the full English baked one.
Home made pudding and all.
Just once I would like to sit down to mud crab and a beer but as the eldest survivor I must keep up tradition
regards all.

All
The point of my story was to remind people that Christmas isn't necessarily a happy time for some, spare them some of your Christmas I doubt you'll miss it.. And to be grateful for The Dr, nurses, ambos, police etc especially the volunteers who serve doing what we're often too busy or not interested in doing.
For those who say I'm a bleeding heart...I've seen families like yours upended and destroyed in an instant reminding us that "there but for circumstance/grace of your God(s) go you"...think of them as your insurance nice to know they're there and hope you never need them. Have a good every day.

On a comedic note one apocryphal story went around was about a call from a “father Christmas” who had been left some biscuits and the following note UNDER the plate
"Dear Santa,
Dad says you should always bargain from a position of strength.
If you leave me the bike I want I'll tell you the antidote for the poison in the biscuits

Yours faithfully
Adam
PS the milk’s ok it made the milk go funny

Oops a budding banker/CEO perhap?

Foxy - I posted straight after your initial post but for some reason it didn't go through so:-

Being a family unit of three my parents always rounded up people without family to spend Xmas Day with us.One that stands out was in PNG the summer I turned 18.

Bigger crowd than usual so, apart from the extended dining table, we brought in two more tables. Helping us was a young Pom with the bluest eyes I had ever seen who was put at the head of one table and an elderly family friend at the head of the other
.

My mother noticed that this lady, though praising my father's cooking to the skies earlier, seemed reluctant to start serving the turkey so, thinking she had guessed why, asked one of the guests, a Catholic priest, to say a Xmas Grace.

Father O'Malley obligingly stood up and began "Dear Lord, on this wonderful day, we would all like to say..." when someone knocked over an ornamental Santa Claus which took up the thread in a tinny voice crying "Merry Xmas to All, Ho! Ho! Ho!"

"Ah,dear Lord, how can I follow an act like that?" laughed the priest and sat back down. But our friend, while making free with all the trimmings, still seemed reluctant to take the silver lid from the meat platter.

Some time later we noticed however, that the group, though looking a little strained, were at last eating.

It was only afterward we discovered that, by mistake, our timid friend had been given a huge platter on which my father had placed all the scraps as he was carving - so the entire table had dined on gristle, gizzards and guts!

However, once someone had produced a guitar, my mother had sat down at the piano and someone else appropriated my bongos the afternoon was wonderful and I still have a hazy recollection of Father O'Malley, my girlfriend and I knockin' 'em dead with Three Little Maids From School at one point!

p.s. Blue Eyes and I became an item for the next two years!

Dear Belly,

Thanks for your heartwarming story. It restores my faith
in human nature. Cashing that cheque certainly
made your family's Christmas. And I agree with
you, I too believe that basically people are decent.
I love tradition as well. Especially at this time
of the year. Christmas lunch is always the usual
Turkey, Ham, et cetera. And always with family.
I do all the cooking both Christmas Eve and
Christmas Lunch. And I love it, and wouldn't have
it any other way. One year we went away for Christmas,
and it just wasn't the same.

Dear examinator,

Thanks for sharing your Christmas
Story. You're such a 'softie' with such a big heart.
You described the scene so poignantly, making all of us
aware how fortunate we are. (While many others are not).
I count my blessings every day.
I loved your 'little boy's' note to Santa.
Definitely, a future CEO or lawyer, I'd say.

Dear Celivia,

Great story!
Two year olds are quite a force to be reckoned with.
What a shock it must have been for you. Thanks for
sharing. And what a relief that all ended well.

Dear Nocky96,

Thank you for your Christmas Story.
These are memories that will last a lifetime.
I can imagine how you must have felt when your
dad ate the cookie. But now you've got something
to tell your grandchildren.

Again, Thanks to you all.

Dear Romany,

Thank You for coming on board with your
wonderful story. You write so well, I feel
as if I was there.

What an afternoon it must have been!

As for 'blue-eyed' men ...
I must confess my preference in my
'salad-days' (when I was fresh and green), was
always for the brown-eyed dark-haired guys.

So who do I marry?
A blue-eyed, sandy-haired, Adonis (sigh).

I'm having problems with my computer
and just in case it packs up before
Christmas, while it's still working
I'd like to wish everyone the Best
Christmas/Holiday Season ever, and may the New Year
bring Health, Happiness, and Prosperity.

May we continue to share our views on this
great Forum.

Take Care, and
All The Best,