It is Christmas season and the streets of London are abundantly alive with keen shoppers and Christmas carols spilling in and out of our favourite department stores. The gloomy days and rainy season do little to put off people like myself, determined to get that last minute Christmas present for the one I love.
On this occasion, I was actually heading home after meeting a friend for lunch. I take a wrong turning and rather than to go back the way I came from, I thought it would be a good idea to explore. A couple more turnings later... I had no idea where I was... but found myself next to a park staring at a Christmas tree. I smiled. Christmas trees always make me smile and think of happy memories.
The park itself was deserted. I walked closer to the tree and sat down on the bench to the left of the tree. As I sat, I watched people walking past on the street. I was half dozing and wondering where these people were going. I wondered where home would be for them, and whether they were all looking forward to Christmas as much as I was.
After a while, I realised I wasn't alone on the bench. Someone was sat next to me. I turned to my right to take a better look. A beautiful regal looking young lady wearing an interesting combination of floral print, was sat next me, staring at the people walking past on the street - just as I was a few moments ago. In all her beauty, I could do little but stuttered a hello.
She told me that she had been watching me and thought that I might like some company. We chatted for a while. I of course apologised and explained that I didn't see anyone in the park before. Although I will never be able to explain how I didn't notice her when I first sat down.
She must be one of the happiest people I've ever met in my life. I asked her whether she came here often, and she said she was always here. Even when people don't notice her. She loves being able to make people smile and see snapshots of people's happy memories. She tells me that everyone leaves behind something when they see Christmas trees, and she goes round collecting what people have left behind.
I ask her what she's collected and she tells me... "that moment people's faces light up when they see me, and the snapshot of fond family gatherings". Confused, I asked her what she meant. She turned to face me and said,
"I am a guardian of this tree. I don't exist properly in your human realm. But I watch you all from afar. I am always here but you might not always see me. My role is to collect moments of joy during Christmas."
Of course, being an inquisitive human, I asked her what she did with those moments of joy she collected. With that, she started to fade. She smiled at me and completely vanished. The last words I heard from her were,
"My name is Hope. I turn moments of joy into hope and give them to people who need it to get through the cold winter months."
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