It was early Christmas morning when little Tommy woke up, outside it was still dark but the moon was up and through the window the snow glistened like tiny diamonds.
There was a star in the east shining brightly, much more brightly than all of the others.
Its light shone through a crystal pinned up in Tommy's window which focused its beam on to one of the many presents underneath the Christmas tree that he was able to see through the doorway of his bedroom.
"What is it?" Tommy wondered, it was all wrapped in pretty Christmas paper with an enormous red bow round it.
Tommy looked in amazement he could almost make out a shape amongst the wrappings.
"What is it?" he thought to himself.
Though he was only 3 he knew he could not open the presents till Mommy or Daddy was there.
By now he was just so excited, and like many other youngsters also awake early on this Christmas morning, he ran to Mommy and Daddy's bedroom, shouting as he ran Mommy! Daddy! Santa's been! Santa's been! Quick! Come and see.
Well by this time Mommy and Daddy were wide awake, Daddy took at look at the clock, and although it was only 5.
00am, he thought to himself he most likely wasn't going to get any more sleep till all the presents had been opened.
Mommy and Daddy went into the family room, Tommy had run on ahead in his excitement.
Daddy stoked up the fire and put another log on to warm the place up, it was quite chilly, the fire had died down during the night.
Mommy walked in to the kitchen and made a hot drink for them all, when she returned to the family room the fire was burning brightly.
Tommy said "Mommy! Daddy! can I open it?", meaning the present with the big red bow.
"Well" says Daddy, "let's see who it is for", so reading the label on the gift it says "Merry Christmas to Tommy with much love from Grandma" This brought tears to Mommy and Daddy's eyes as Tommy's Grandma had sadly passed away only a month ago.
Grandma didn't get to see the look of pleasure in Tommy's eyes or hear the shouts of excitement when Tommy opened the present revealing the rocking horse that she had lovingly built from one of Grandpa's rocking horse plans.
Grandma had taken up woodwork as a hobby when her husband of many years passed away just a year ago.
She couldn't bring herself to throw away his woodworking tools.
There's still time to build a rocking horse from rocking horse plans for your child or grandchild or perhaps a buddy's child.
Woodworking is a pastime everyone can enjoy.
Merry Christmas to you and your family, may peace and love fill your hearts.