To spread some holiday cheer, I will be writing a new story every week that shows what Christmas is all about. So go grab a nice cozy blanket and a cup of hot cocoa and read on to get into the holiday spirit.

Warm Food

Rushing past the neighbors lawn, Eli ran to get to the store on time. The video game he wanted was on sale and there was only one left. Luckily, his best friend worked at the store and was saving it for him, but he wouldn't be able to do that for too long once his manager arrived.

As he got to the mall, he quickly ran to the store and made it just on time.

"Thanks Alex, I owe you big time."

"No problem Eli, tell your mom I said hi and ask her to make her amazing apple pie the next time I go visit."

"Deal."

Eli walks out of the store feeling relieved that he made it on time. As he exits the mall, he notices a homeless man sitting by the doors with a dog. He's holding up a sign, asking for money or food,

A group of girls walk past by him and act as if they don't see him.

"Ew don't you just hate homeless people? They're so lazy. They should just get a job like everyone else," one of the girls say.

"Tell me about it. And I think he needs a shower more than the dog does." The girls start laughing.

Back at his house, Eli and his family sit down to eat dinner.

"What dd you guys do today?" Eli's mom asks his sister and him.

"I went over to Sandra's house and watched a bunch of Christmas movies. Her mom ordered us pizza and we had so much fun," his sister says.

"That's nice Kiara. What about you Eli? What did you do?"

"I went to the video game store where Alex was saving a game for me. He says hi by the way and wants to know if you can make apple pie the next time he comes over."

"Of course, just let me know when you guys will hang out."

"Hey mom, what do you know about homeless people?" Eli asks.

"Well I know that they are not as fortunate as us, with a roof over our head and warm food on the table. Why do you ask?"

"I saw a homeless guy sitting outside of the mall and a group of girls from my school were making fun of him, wondering why he hasn't gotten a job."

Eli's mom sighs. "Look, not everyone can have a job. Some people have certain disabilities that prevents them to work, some have a certain type of mental illness, and some just can't get a job for the lack of skills or professional clothing. If it was that easy to get a job, I'm sure there would be less homeless people on the street. Those girls are just spoiled and don't know what the true value of a job is."

Eli kept thinking about what his mom said and came up with an idea.

The next day, Eli saw the homeless man and his dog outside of the store.

"Hi sir, would you mind if I sat next to you?"

"No not at all, take a seat. Don't worry about Cupid he won't bite," the homeless man says.

"I had a few leftovers from last night's dinner and I was wondering if you would be interested. My mom makes the best pasta in the whole city. I brought a bone for Cupid too."

"Thank you so much. I would love to try your mom's pasta. My name is Ed by the way. What's yours?"

"I'm Eli and don't mention it. That's what the holiday season is all about."