A Christmas Story.

Kafka the writer is said to have told this story to some friends. In 1920 he was taking a walk through the park in Berlin and noticed a little girl sitting on bench crying. He asked her what was the matter, and sadly she shared she had lost her doll. "Let's look for it," Kafka said and they did, but the doll was no where to be found.

It was starting to get dark. Kafka told the little girl they should come back the next day, which they did.

They looked and looked, but they still could not find the doll. "Wait," he said, "what's this?" He bent over and found a letter from the doll addressed to the little girl. It said, "My dear friend, I have decided to travel. I'm sorry, I know you will miss me. But if you will come back here at this time each day, I will write you a letter from each city that I'm visiting." The next day the little girl and Kafka were back, sure enough they found another letter, and so it went each day for several days. Each letter told about a city, the buildings, the people, the food. And then one day, Kafka brought a new doll and brought it to the little girl along with another letter. "Look what I just found," he said.

"That's not my doll," the little girl said. "maybe that's why there is this letter, do you want me to read it?" "Yes!" she answered, and so he did. "My dear friend, You undoubtably have noticed that the travel has changed me. We can play and have fund again though, it will be different, and better for me, I hope it is even more fun for you." So the little girl took the doll home and never lost it again. After she married she was packing her belongings to move into her new home with her new husband.

There on the top shelf of the book case was the doll. Although she had long ago stopped playing with the doll, she still loved it and could not bear to leave it behind. When she reached up, grabbed a leg, and picked it up the leg pulled off. Inside the doll was, could it be, yes it was, another letter inside the doll. So she unfolded it and read: "My dear friend, this will be my last letter, I'm so happy for you. Remember always that every thing you love will eventually go away, but love will always be found again." These are my words, a paraphrase after hearing Allen Berger tell this story. Thanks Allen! I hope it will be shared with Monica, Josh,Tim please share with them and Regan, ok? And Ned Sisan with the boys? Merry Christmas my friends!