The Magic in Christmas Cookies

 This was first published in Chicken Soup for the Soul at Christmas. I have retained all publishing rights.

 Stevie was barely five years old when he first came to visit-joining my youngest son and me for an afternoon of decorating Christmas cookies. Decorating Christmas cookies was a tradition in our home. We had done it ever since the oldest of our five children was small.

 Anticipating our afternoonl, I arranged a Christmas tablecloth with bowls of icing, red and green sprinkles, and red and green colored sugars. I had baked cookies throughout the morning. Christmas carols were playing on the stereo. The boys were sure to have a good time.

Stevie's eyes grew wide with excitement as he spied the table and its wares. I set trays of cookies in front of both boys. My son started spreading icing on the cooled cookies immediately. Stevie simply watched.

"Don't you like decorating Christmas cookies?" I asked him.

"I've never done it," he said. "I don't know how."

This was such a surprise to me, but then I knew that Stevie's mom was single and worked long hours. He was one of three small children, and there wasn't much money for extras in their home. She probably had just enough energy and money at the end of the day to put supper on the table and crawl into bed. Christmas cookies would be considered an extravagance.

I began slowly, showing Stevie how to spread the white icing smoothly and evenly over each cookie. He laughed as we sprinkled sugar and sprinkles onto the wet frosting. Soon Stevie had the hang of it and was busily decorating cookie after colorful cookie. Both boys had fun eating the confections before they ever reached the cookies, too.

"This is fun," Stevie exclaimed repeatedly.

Somehow I think I was the one having the most fun, watching my son teach his friend how to enjoy a new facet to the Christmas season.

"Can I come over and do this again?" Stevie asked.

"We'll plan another play date soon," I said.

There was as much icing and candy on Stevie as there was on the cookies and in the bowls! Perched atop a kitchen stool, his tongue deliberately wedged between his lips in strong concentration, Stevie decorated dozens of cookies. He was having so much fun, he didn't even noticed when my son became bored and wandered off to watch a video.

"These are good," Stevie said, biting a cookie he'd just decorated. "They're sweet."

When Stevie's mom came to pick him up, he was astonished that I was wrapping his decorated cookies and sending them home with him.

"To keep?" he asked.

"To eat!" I said.

Stevie left with his package of sweet Christmas cookies and a face and shirt covered with evidence of how he'd spent the afternoon. His young mother was grateful for Stevie's fun afternoon and unique Christams experience. I was left with a feeling of sheer delight at having witnessed this little boy's first experience at decorating Christmas cookies, and knowing that we had-in a very small way-brightened his Christmas.

My children have always taken the cookie decorating tradition for granted. They expect it every year, and as my son did this particular year-they typically grow bored after decorating just a few cookies. Then they go off and find something else to do.

I was reminded on this particular year-during our visit with Stevie-just how richly our children are blessed. I was reminded of how graced we are with sweetness-of cookies and little boys. Traditions like baking Christmas cookies make for cherished memories.

I will hold our visit with Stevie among them.