The Best Gift

It's the holidays. I want to be singing Christmas songs with the others, but I'll be laughed at. I see them singing. I see the look of joy on their faces. Claire is playing the piano. I wish I could hear the music. My mother told me she plays wonderfully. I've never heard my mother's voice. She taught me to sign when I was three years old, and to read lips when I was five. Claire tells me she is playing Silent Night. She says it is a Christmas classic. I've never heard it. I never will. Anna in the past has told me of the joy of Christmas music. She said it brings out the Christmas spirit. Does that mean I will never have a Christmas spirit? I try to sing along. I know the words. I sing quietly, for others tell me that when I talk, I slur my speech. I do not know the tune of the music. Aunt Mary tells me to sing louder. She says nobody will laugh. I sing louder. It is my first time singing with every body else. Suddenly, there are even larger smiles on everybody's faces. My mother is weeping with joy. She goes in the other room to talk with my father. She comes back to me a few minutes later. She tells me that this Christmas, I will be getting the best gift of all. She tells me about a new surgery that she read about. If I would like, then tomorrow, Christmas Day, I can have the gift of hearing. I burst into tears of joy. I hug my mother. She hugs me back and kisses my head. Those are the sweetest kisses I have ever felt. 1

The next day, I don't wake up to presents under the tree. I wake up to something even better. My parents standing by my bed and ready to go to the hospital. We drive in silence. When we get there, I am put on a bed. The doctors put a mask on my face.2

I wake up to a beautiful sound. The first sound I have ever heard. I think it is singing. The words are those to Silent Night. I close my eyes and cry, listening to the most beautiful sound in the world. My mother comes in. She is crying, too. She speaks my name. The sound of her voice is so beautiful. It's hard to believe that everybody else hears that voice every day. Now I will, too. Then I realize something: I've found my Christmas Spirit.

A contest entry

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Comments

1 - 20 of 20

  • GrimDeath
    October 1
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    Well written, it is short but is very sweet. Great job and good luck in the contest.


  • tsh369 gold member
    August 28

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    That was touching. Thank you for sharing it and entering it into my contest. I love the happy ending. Keep up the great work. Great Job!!! and Good Luck!!!

    Th.

    Here is something I thought you'd like to know:

    Does that mean I will never have I a Christmas spirit? (Take out second I)


  • therenaissancegirl gold member
    August 20

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    Make Me Cry (Contest Comment)

    Very touching and beautiful, but I think you rushed it a bit. I would have liked it to be longer--as Asfand said, "flesh it out." You have a natural gift; all you have to do is expand upon it. Great job, and good luck in my contest

    Renaissance


  • XComexxToxGetxHerX
    August 4

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    Touching

    Verrry good! I liked this sooo much! I know personally the difficulties, pleasures, and trials that no or limited hearing brings a person. Great emotion, great description (not that you needed it really) and I loved each sentence! Great work!


  • angellove silver member
    August 1

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    Beautiful

    Thanks for this heartfelt story. Tears came to my eyes as I read it. I work with people who are Autistic and deaf. It's quite an interesting experience. I know they don't hear music, but I know that they feel the sound waves if it is loud enough, depending on what type of music it is.

    Thanks for entering this in my contest.

    beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.


  • Asfand
    July 19
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    Sweetly done and an excellent theme to work on! You wove a very saddening tale and I was quiet taken aback. It's simplistic narrative but beautiful in every sense!

    I would suggest fleshing the story out more. It needs a better format, because it has the potential to be something extraordinary!

    Your incorporation of Christmas carrols is beautiful!

    Great work! Good luck!

  • Kismet Krazy
    July 14
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    This is a very nice tale. I'm glad she was able to get her hearing. It shows that christmas isn't about the gifts. Its about what christmas does together. The family, and the experience you can share. It made me happy to know that in the end she could share the musical experiences. nice work.

    beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.


  • CallMeWhenUrRich gold member
    July 8

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    Aww. This was so beautiful.

    I loved it. It was amazingly sweet, touching and simply pulled at my heart strings.

    I wake up to a beautiful sound. The first sound I have ever heard. I think it is singing. The words are those to Silent Night. I close my eyes and cry, listening to the most beautiful sound in the world.

    That had to be my most favourite line. You did a wonderful job with this. Thanks for sharing!

  • DeathByChocolate
    July 5
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    i wanted to say that you are a finalist

  • DeathByChocolate
    July 5

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    Very sweet I think you could make the beginning longer though
    I really like the end, very sweet

    Good luck


  • Vanilla King
    June 30

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    Very sweet story! It's obvious the character is desperate and feels like they're missing out on a lot of things, so the happy ending is nice.

    The writing itself however is not very great. The sentences are way too short, it's like a telegram.
    Try to understand how to use commas and such to combine short sentences and make the story flow a bit better. A little exercise I find helpful, is to read the story out loud to yourself. That way, you'll know how to add commas, colons and semicolons, so that the the flow of the whole thing will improve.

    Good luck and thanks for entering!


  • Melissa HoneyBee
    June 26

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    This was really sweet. I Love how you didn't just straight out state that she was deaf. This was really nice .
    A really good storyline, and I'm glad she got to hear and that it was on a special day and everyone supported her.
    Keep writing, it's good

  • Rhythm Child
    June 14

    Edit | Reply
    The sound of her voice is so beautiful. It's hard to believe that everybody else hears that voice every day

    beautiful
    you really let the reader experience joy through your description.


  • greensoccerfanatic
    May 27
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    AWESOME

    i absolutely love this story! it's awesome!!!!!! your a really good writer!

    beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.


  • powerpuffs
    March 30

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    umm it was good

    the flow wasn' the best, but it was good! I really think if u used more desciptive words when she just is able to her,and then wen she wakes up it goes right into hering, use the other four scences!!!!
    Powerpuffs(Pp)
    PS Thx for entering


  • poetry is soul
    March 17

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    automatically, you get bonus points for this one. my brother is deaf, so obviously i am really fluent with sign language. i love this story, it is so sweet. im happy the main character was able to hear. i know my brother wishes he could hear all the time. the most we could do for him was get him a hearing aid and now we have to scream for him to hear us... its just easier to sign. good job, i really like this story.


  • taylor-swift13
    February 23

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    Wow, I am very much speechless. This was really well written and it brought tears to my eyes. I think someone has made a contest about deaf or blind stories. You should enter, you'll probably get first or second place.


  • dancer.
    February 21
    Edit | Reply

    Good

    A little confusing at first...but one of the best inspirational stories around! Good job.

    beginning: 5, language: 5, plot: 5, ending: 5, dialog: 5, characters: 5.

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