The rays of sunshine beaming through my window wake me up from the warmth on my face. You could just feel the Christmas “joy and spirit” in the air. It seemed to eliminate all problems and concerns in the world. All you could smell was breakfast being cooked up to its perfection. Mom was making sausage, biscuits, gravy, and all the most wonderful things. The smell was so good it could make you tingle.
As I walked downstairs, I heard laughter and giggles. That is when instantly I knew that I was the last one to wake up, which in my case was not good. That meant I was the one that got to clean up after we ate. All year long I had been begging and pleading for an iPhone 4S, and I thought today was going to be the day I got it. It was finally Christmas. Everyone gets what they want on Christmas, right?

I was greeted with love-filled hugs. Everyone was in a jolly mood. As we all gathered in the family room, my Mom was handing out all the presents. She then said, “Babies open their presents first.” I am still a baby to her.

In my pile of gifts, I saw a perfect little phone-shaped package. That was going to be my first pick! I start to unwrap it slowly at first, and then I ripped it apart. Then there it was! I saw my baby for the first time. It was my companion, my iPhone.

I thanked and hugged my Mom first. Then turned to my Dad, and that was when the mood changed. I could just tell something was up. About that time my Dad snatched it from my hands and said, “Sorry sweets, but that phone is mine for a week.” My Dad proceeded to tell me that while my Brother was setting up my new phone for me on Christmas Eve, he discovered that I had been texting a boy that my Dad did not like. That meant I needed to be punished in some cruel way.

Needless to say, my mood went from joy to devastation in about half a second. As my Dad was telling me that I could have my phone back in one week, my lips started quivering. Water started filling up my eyes, and I ran to my room as hard and fast as I could. I made sure they could tell how upset I was from how loud my feet stomped the stairs.

Two days later, my Mom felt bad for me and slipped me the phone secretly. I was filled with joy again and even some sweet sneakiness! Very quickly, because I am not that sneaky, my Dad caught me on it. Of course this meant a pretty stern talk and losing my baby again. I went back to pouting.

A long five days later, I finally got my iPhone back. I even got an iTunes gift card attached. Oh sweet joy! It was then and only then that I thought to myself that Christmas was not terrible after all. The sunshine was warm again. The smell of happiness was in the air again.

Fortunately I learned a very good lesson from that week after Christmas. It was not a lesson of appreciating what I already have. It was not a lesson of doing what I am I told. Instead, I learned that I should not mess with my Dad. He means business.