Gift of the Magi

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I signed up to read to Gretchen's class in early December.  Over the last four years, I'm pretty sure I've read every year to either Melinda's or Gretchen's classses around Christmas time.  I always read "the Grinch."  Wednesday night while I was travelling, Tracey fielded a panicked call from another reader in Gretchen class that she had read my book.  Thursday night when I returned I set to finding something I could read.

I happened across the original text from "The Gift of the Magi" (1906).  Great story, but it had some hard words (I needed to look them up).  So I downloaded a copy and put in translations.

I discovered this morning as I practiced that I couldn't read the story out loud without tearing up.  Wonderful irony.  Happy and sad.  Great story.  After half a dozen readings I felt like I could do it without losing it.

When I sat down, to read, I knew right away that I was wrong - no way was I finishing that story without crying.  So I prepped them and told them that I was going to cry.  Mrs. Parr got me a box of tissues and I started off.  I paused a couple times to make sure they were getting the story and only lost my place through the tears once (the concluding paragraph is beautful). 

After the story, Gretchen walked me out.  Turns out she KNEW that I was a reader a week+ ago (Mrs. Parr told them).  Made my morning today.

Merry Christmas all

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