Tatiana Tomljanovic takes a look at Christmas through the eyes of a child and scores in our Fifth Rerun of Christmas. And yet these perceptions are both childlike and cynical. Even the “Christmas Miracle” can take Isla away from the funny smell in her grandparent’s house–that and her belief that God was the thing you say when you don’t know what to say.
Oh, Tatiana, please come out for a bow if you will…
The Author’s Introduction
I’m writing this introduction on Christmas Eve and while that’s mostly due to procrastination, it also strikes me as appropriate to be drinking wine and reflecting on the past year and all the Christmases that came before. This story came together rather quickly because while the series of events are fictional, the feelings of being an outsider mirror my own personal experiences of Christmas, religion, and growing up in a small town. Children tend to see things in binary—black vs. white, good vs. bad, in vs. out—or at least I did as a child. It’s only later in life that I started to appreciate that most everyone feels like an outsider at one time or another and that the holidays can compound those feelings.
Image: Wormhole in space with Christmas streamers.
literally stories 
Hello Tatiana
I recall thinking that it was too bad it wasn’t Christmas when we accepted this fine story. But it found the holiday season on its own. The POV of the child is outstanding. Certainly not all sugarplums and that sort of goofiness. And thank you for your excellent introduction.
Leila
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I think I was happy just to have it published full stop. But it’s even better to get a second life this Christmas. And yes, it’s not all sugarplums, but what is? Even for a kid? Maybe especially for a kid.
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I can only repeat what said when I read this the first time: a beautiful and evocative vignette! Re-reading it drives home just how well crafted it is.
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Thank you for reading not once, but twice Steven.
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Hi Tatiana,
All I can do is reiterate what I said initially.
And also, this is an excellent piece of writing from a very talented writer.
This is another story that I am delighted and privileged to share this week with.
All my very best to you and yours over the holidays.
Hugh
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Thank you for giving this a second life, Hugh. I was too chicken shit to share this this the first go around on a platform where my extended family might read it, but I’ve become a bolder slightly more assured writer since and shared it far and wide this second go. Happy Holidays to you and yours.
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Missed this somehow, the first time round. Enjoyed it very much!
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Thanks for reading, Mick!
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Much thoughtfulness and even some philosophy woven into the child’s POV. As enjoyable now as when I first read it. Very well done.
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Thank you so much David. That is extremely validating coming from such a talented writer. The Real Bad Snowman was a punch in the gut when I read it. And that title took on an entirely different meaning after I finished the story.
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A child’s road trip at Christmas…. I know the prairies, and Rosetown Sask. It was like going back in time, the snow, gazing up at the sky while riding in the car, even the black ice and the swerve into the ditch! I like the description of the two churches and their services, the dialogue between the two sisters, the wistful ending, too.
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I’m so glad I could take you on a trip, Harrison. You must be familiar with the Prairies to know Rosetown. It’s pretty small.
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