Help and good cheer

On Sunday morning, my wife and I arose from bed, in the dark, to go shovel snow. There was at least a foot and, where it had drifted, more, of snow in the driveway. We began to shovel, and it was then I discovered Christmas comes in many shapes.

A large snowplow was clearing the road, but I didn’t pay much attention, too busy trying to control an electric snow broom that was having difficulty handling the snow depth. The plow suddenly veered off the road just as it was about to pass, and onto our driveway. In two minutes our drive and that of my neighbour’s was clear. I waved my thanks to the plow driver, then ran into the house, to the fridge, to retrieve a bottle of ice wine. I managed to catch up with the plow before it turned up the road, hammered on the cab door, and handed the driver the wine bottle.

“Is this ice wine?” he said. I said yes. “Thanks a lot,” he said, “I will open it for my Christmas breakfast.” We exchanged Merry Christmases, and I turned to clean up the driveway. And that was the first time this season I felt that Christmas had really arrived.

ANTHONY WHITTALL, Ottawa