Christmas Jars by Jason F. Wright

Author:Jason F. Wright [Wright, Jason F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Charity, Christmas, Fiction, Service
Publisher: Deseret Book Company
Published: 2005-08-24T04:00:00+00:00

Ten

~

That’s quite a unique tradition.” Hope broke Adam’s rhythm, and suddenly all were transported from Adam’s entertaining tale back to their comfortable spots in the Maxwell living room. Hope baited him for more. “So every year you fill the jar and use the money to buy presents for one another? Your pocket change basically pays for Christmas?”

“You’re half right,” Adam responded. “But Hannah over there put a kink in our plans. Didn’t you, darling?”

She promptly buried her reddening face into her husband’s chest. “You can stop now, Dad.”

“Oh, Hannah Banana, let him go,” her mother piped in. “Your father’s on a roll.”

~

Lauren was finally pregnant and showing, and the anticipation of the arrival of Adam and Lauren’s first child was exhilarating. With another set of hands to open presents that year, they started their now-annual Christmas Jar on Easter weekend. Winter approached, and both became adept at accumulating change. Whenever possible, they asked for coins rather than small bills at convenience and drug stores, the post office, and so on. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas they were blessed with a stunningly perfect baby girl. They named her Hannah.

Once again on Christmas Eve, Adam and Lauren emptied their jar on the kitchen table. “A new record,” Adam announced. “Two hundred fifty-five dollars and seventy cents.” They converted it to bills and trekked off for the ritual spree. That year they bought a few nice things for one another, but it was the baby that scored the biggest haul. They opened their packages and enjoyed a quiet Christmas afternoon as a family of three. That night, after dinner at Adam’s parents’, they decided that now with a child and a desire to create a lasting tradition, they would begin leaving the jar on the counter and fill it year round. They started December twenty-sixth, and their first full year yielded over four hundred dollars.

Over the following years, the tradition became family law. Then after a miscarriage at eleven weeks, Lauren and Adam were surprised with not one but two identically perfect baby girls. Now with ample experience at hoarding change, and even more Maxwells to please on Christmas morning, they saw their once modest-sized jar grow from a jelly jar to a Mason jar to a giant dill-pickle jar that rose almost eighteen inches high.

During the next two years they asked earlier than ever for their change to be made in coins. By then, even the two-year-old twins knew to remind their mother. “Get silver, Mommy, silver!” They knew the game. No matter what, all coins went into the jar at the end of every single day. And in the Maxwell tradition, there were no exceptions. Or so they thought.

During their tenth year of marriage and after ten Maxwell Christmas Jars, the family of five set off to the bank on Christmas Eve afternoon with their most impressive collection of spare change ever. It was Hannah’s turn to bask in the privilege of carrying the jar, and the seven-year-old struggled to carry the jar from the family van.

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