Sharing Video Games

Michael awoke on Christmas morning as if he had just downed a pot of coffee. But he had never touched a drop of the black stuff in his life. Instead, he was brimming with excitement on his ninth Christmas.

He was so excited that he nearly forgot how to walk. His legs couldn’t keep up with his enthusiasm, and he nearly rolled down the stairs like a ball. But he did make it to the Christmas tree where the rest of his joyous family waited. Michael exceeded this level of joy when his parents gave him a present.  It was a new video game console!

After he thanked his parents, Michael surveyed the scene of mirth and joy unfolding in his house. He smiled so hard that his face hurt. Except his smiled turned upside down as he looked out the window.

There, he saw a boy around his own age, but this boy was different. He walked with his head down, and his clothes were in tatters. Every now and then, this boy looked behind himself and pulled up his scarf cover his face. Maybe this boy didn’t have a family. Maybe he didn’t have Christmas. Maybe he had no home. Maybe he was ashamed of himself.

It didn’t matter to Michael. He rushed outside wearing his indoor Christmas face and showed it to the world.

“Would you like to play my new video game system?” asked Michael.

The boy snarled for a second. Then his lips curled into a more recognizable shape, and he smiled.

“Sure,” the boy, still incredulous, said.

The two new friends walked away, laughed and talked to each other.

Then the boy said, “I wish there was more people like you in the world.”