Every child down
in Burnaby liked Christmas a lot…
But the Grinch,
who lived in North Burnaby, did NOT!
The Grinch hated
Christmas! The whole Christmas Season.
Now, please
don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
So on Christmas
Eve he paced back and forth.
Complaining, muttering and deciding his
course.
Then he got an
idea. An awful idea.
The Grinch got a
wonderful awful idea!
He laughed to
himself as he began his great trick,
Of making
himself look just like Saint Nick!
He collected his
bags and his reindeer- dog Max,
And began his
decent to the Burbanks complex.
He snuck in the
door and looked from his left to his right,
When a girl named Ava turned on the hall light.
She looked at
the Grinch and wasn’t fooled one bit.
She knew his
story so she asked him to sit.
She looked at
him, with her soft thoughtful eyes,
And started to
tell him her thoughts with a sigh.
“Now,” she
began, “Dallin and Alex are seven.
Believe me when
I say living with them is not heaven.””
““But, they have
worked hard to be good this year,
They are in
grade one and never show fear.”
“Their teacher’s
impressed because she knows they like fun,
But they do sit
until their work is all done.”
“I know they were good when they went to
Disney World,
And to the beach
where they rode waves as they curled.”
“Deneile and I
stayed home”, she pointed out.
“But we had gone
before so we did not pout.”
“Grandma
Bachelder came to take care of us;
We had so much
fun there was no need to fuss.”
“”Grandma took
us to ballet and piano too;
Deneile had her cross
country run, Oh so much to do!”
“Deneile is so
grown she’s already ten;
She’s baking and
sewing every now and then.”
“Did you know
that I turned eight!
And with that
came a very special date.”
“I got baptized,
a special gift you see,
So I can have the
spirit always here with me.”
Ava’ tilted her
head as she pondered some more
And then she
went on as the Grinch eyed the door.
“Mom is so busy
all through the year
Running us there
and running us here.
“She also has
her volunteer work;
She goes every week
to help the Youth of the Church.”
“”Now Dad””, she
said, ““has also I fear
Been a very busy
guy all of this year.”
“He works all
day long making shows for TV
And this year he
filmed a commercial with me!””
“Dad went from
contractor to employee now!
We are very
excited I am sure you see how.”
“He is busy at
church, being executive sec.
To help the
bishop so he’s not a wreck!””
“So why mister
Grinch would you want to do this?
I really think that something’s amiss.”
I really think that something’s amiss.”
The Grinch hung
his head and began to cry.
“I am just so
lonely and that’s really why.”
Ava gave him a hug and told him to stay
And share in
their Christmas the proper way.
“When you know
about Christmas and the reason we sing,
Christmas will
be a whole different thing.”
“The Spirit of
Christmas can be wherever you roam,
And then you
will never again feel alone.”
And what
happened then?
Well...The
children all say
That the Grinch’s
small heart grew three sizes that day. 
And the minute
his heart didn’t feel quite so tight.
He was happy and full of Christmas time light.
He smiled at Ava
not sad in the least.
And He
himself... Carved the roast beast.
Merry Christmas
From the Burbanks!
