THE PRESENT

He was in the mall - the big mall - doing his Christmas shopping.

It was early Saturday afternoon - less than a week before Christmas.

He liked to buy small presents - quality presents - the perfect present - for family or friends.

He looked around and around and around and no gift seemed just right. So he headed for the Food Court - for a hamburger, some fries, and a shake. It was 5 to 1 and 5 presents to go - his 5 kids - 3 girls, 2 boys. The Food Court was packed - just like the rest of the mall. Tray in hand,  he got a small  table. A couple was just getting up. He napkin cleaned it off  and sat by himself.

He loved these moments - just watching people - parents with little ones - grandparents with little ones - people together - including people alone like he was. He liked to imagine - as well as to go figure - what each person’s story was.

Jack’s five kids were grown up and gone. But all five would be back together on Christmas Eve for a Christmas Dinner - the first Christmas Dinner all the family would be together for in years. The next day - Christmas day -  they would be with their own families. Jack and his wife, Lois, knew Christmas was always time to be with one’s own little family - once one’s own little family got started.

They knew Thanksgiving was different. Four out of the five usually made it to Thanksgiving Dinner - taking turns in their different homes - but every family has one or two that sort of shift away: distance, differences, or the spouse they married have their own family traditions as well. The key was to enjoy the “Whatever’s” of life.

Differences could cause corner talk - or comments that needn’t be said - because who knows what’s really what’s what with any one of us?

Anyway this Saturday afternoon - just before Christmas - sitting there all alone in the Food Court - in the big mall - at exactly 1 PM - someone started singing a Christmas carol. Interesting. And she was good. “Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come.” Then another person - this time a guy - great baritone voice - stood up and repeated those same opening words, “Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come.”

Then 25 people - at least 25 people -  stood up and burst out with the rest of that Christmas song, “Joy to the World, The Lord Has Come.”

He had seen these Flash Mob singing scenes on e-mail’s folks had sent to him from time to time. Here he was in the middle of one live and in person.

Then it was another 50 people at least who started to sing - bursting out with sound. Were they an opera company or a church choir?

People from all sections of the Mall headed for the sound - and faces and eyes were filled with surprise and tears and amazement.

Out came the cell phones. His didn’t have a camera on his cell phone - or if he did, he didn’t know how to work it.  Many, many people were photographing the scene. Many had those small digital cameras. Picture. Picture. Picture. Snap. Snap. Snap.

As people lifted kids up on their shoulders or tables or what have you, memories of being at parades with his dad as a kid - or at church at Christmas - came back to him.

He began wondering if there is a difference in different people. Do some people just enjoy the present moment? Do some people miss the present moment by getting pulled into the past by the present moment? Do some people miss the present moment because they have to hold onto the present moment by getting a picture of it for future reference? Do people ever look at all these pictures they took? Why can’t people just enjoy the present in front of them?

He caught himself. He laughed at himself. “Here I am judging others and by doing so, I’m missing the present moment myself. Why do I always do this? Why God, why?” 

He didn’t noticed the “God” word slip into his thoughts.

They sang three songs - just three  Christmas songs - “Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come”; “O Come, All Ye Faithful”; and  finished with “Silent Night!"

Everyone clapped. People continued with the pictures. He saw folks reaching for paper napkins from the counters of the food shops that were all along the edge of the big food court - to wipe away tears.

Then the singers headed into the rest of the mall of the parking lot.

Jack finished his hamburger and fries - both of which had become a tiny bit cold. His shake had disintegrated a bit. He sat there wondering about something down deep - but he wasn’t sure just what it was. He walked a lot when Lois died of cancer just 7 months ago. 55 was too young to go. He didn’t blame God - although he knew two of his kids did. They were the church goers. It wasn’t that - but something was stirring in his silent night.

He stood up and cleared off his table for the next person. A mom and dad and their little kid were just there as he had stood up. The father said, “Thanks for cleaning up the table.” Then he added, “That singing was great wasn’t it?” Jack said, “You’re right! I needed that.”

As he headed back into the Mall, he wondered what those words, “I needed that” meant.

He turned a corner and in another section of the Mall he spotted a small silver colored pewter Nativity set in the window of a jewelry store: Mary, Joseph, Jesus in a Manger, an ox and an ass, and two shepherds, one with a sheep in his arms and another with a sheep on his shoulder. It was compact - this 7 piece set. He walked into the store and asked a salesman. “How much does that pewter Nativity set in your store window cost?”

“Let me check,” he said.

Sheepishly he came back and said, “$314 dollars.”

Jack said, “Can I see them?” 

The salesman got a key and opened up the front window  to get at them. He then brought over some of the set to show him. They were small - solid - with neatly etched features. They were quality pieces - the kind of work you would find in a very rich chess set.

Jack asked, “Do you have more than 1 set?”

The salesman said, “Let me check.”

He got down on his knees and once more took out his keys and opened up a cabinet under one of the display cases in the store. He moved some stuff around and yelled up - still on his knees, “We have 4 more sets with this one.”

Jack said, “Perfect! I’ll take all five.”

The salesman was totally surprised - knowing they were in that store window for about 4 weeks now - and maybe underneath for years.

Jack asked, “Could I get them wrapped?”

“No problem.” The guy brought them over to a young high school or college kid and asked if she would gift wrap them.

Jack said, “Thank You” and paid with his credit card. He asked the salesman if he heard the singing.

“Oh that’s what that was all about.”

Jack headed to his car and home. He had his last 5 gifts bought in one swift move. It was a good choice - the kind of gift that will last for years. Kids and grandkids can play with them and they won’t break. Everyone will have their own set! There will be no arguments - like what happened with a few pieces of mom’s jewelry after she died. And years from now people will ask, “Where did you get that great Nativity set?” And he said to himself, “They will say with pride, ‘Oh my dad bought all 5 of us this same  set for Christmas many years ago.’”

Christmas Eve was a wonderful dinner. All the kids came to Jack’s house for the dinner. His 3 daughters came early and cleaned and cooked and arranged for a wonderful Christmas eve dinner and celebration together.

Everyone opened their gifts in their dad’s house after dinner and all 5 kids were pleasantly surprised with the gift of their solid pewter Nativity Set.  “Wow dad. These had to be very expensive.” He answered, “I don’t have to worry about cost anymore with your mom gone - as well as getting hamburgers, shakes and fries.”

The next day Jack went to Mass - Christmas Mass - the first Mass since the funeral Mass for his wife Lois. Why? He didn’t know. The priest said in his homily something like Bethlehem means “House of Bread - and each church is a House of Bread - and the best Christmas present is  to accept Jesus the Bread of Life into our life - starting again this Christmas.”

Jack spotted the Nativity Scene - the crib - up front - in the church. He smiled and said to himself, “The sets I bought are better.” Then he thought about what his daughter said to him the night before - at their Christmas Eve Dinner - in the kitchen - just before she went home, “Dad thanks for the Nativity Set. Beautiful. I got to get back to Church.” 

Then he cried when the whole church sang together including himself, “Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come.” and then again when they sang, “O Come, All Ye Faithful” and then again when everyone sang after Communion, “Silent Night!” He noticed nobody was taking pictures. He realized they realized Jesus is the Christmas Gift - in the flesh, in our faith. Jesus is in our Past, in our Future, in each Present moment.  

Surprise. On the way out of church that Christmas day he spotted his daughter, Connie, and her family and they spotted him. As she hugged him, he said into her ear, “Connie, we’re both back. Joy to the World, the Lord Has Come.”