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We spend so much time of our lives switched on, scrolling, multitasking, reacting.
Miraval Resorts is an invitation to unplug and be present.
For over 30 years, Miraval has been a global leader in mindfulness and well-being, helping
people reconnect to what matters, body, mind, and spirit.
Through meditation, yoga, time and nature equine experiences, and moments designed for true
presence.
Miraval offers practical tools you can carry into everyday life.
Miraval meets you where you are, and supports wellness that actually lasts.
Discover more by visiting www.miravalresorts.com
Hey, it's Shelley Roam, so working late nights on the radio gives you a lot of quiet time
with your thoughts, and sometimes your mind just won't slow down.
I've always wondered why our minds do what they do, why they race, why we get stuck in
the same loops, and how we can actually work with our thoughts instead of fighting them.
That's what led me to the waking up app.
Created by neuroscientist Sam Harris, waking up is so much more than meditation.
It blends neuroscience, philosophy, and guided practices that help you really understand
your mind.
You learn to notice your thoughts, slow them down, and gain perspective, which makes all the
difference when you're really feeling overwhelmed.
I use waking up after long nights to reset, feel calmer, and start the day with more
clarity.
If the new year has you thinking about a smarter, more meaningful reset, explore waking
up free for 30 days with my link, wakingup.com slash Roam.
It really changes the way you think about your thoughts.
99 cents, please, for real, no way, for real, no way, what a deal, your new morning
groove, ice coffee from McDonald's, any size for just 99 cents to 11 a.m.
Once upon a time, so long ago that everybody has forgotten the date in a city in the north
of Europe with such a hard name that nobody can even remember it, there was a little seven
year old boy named Wolf, whose parents were dead, who lived with a cross and stingy old
aunt, who never thought of kissing him more than once a year, and who sigh deeply whenever
she gave him a bowl full of soup.
But the poor little fellow had such a sweet nature that in spite of everything, he loved
the old woman, although he was terribly afraid of her and could never look at her ugly old
face without shivering.
As this aunt a little wolf was known to have a house of her own and an old woolen stocking
full of gold, she had not dared to send the boy to a charity school.
But in order to get a reduction in the price, she had so wrangled with the master of the
school to which little wolf finally went that this bad man vexed it having her pupils
so poorly dressed and paying so little, often punished him unjustly and even prejudiced
his companions against him so that the three boys, all sons of rich parents, made a
dredge and laughing stock of the little fellow.
The poor little one was thus as wretched as a child could be and used to hide himself
in corners to weep whenever Christmas time came.
It was the school master's custom to take all his pupils to the midnight mass on Christmas
Eve and to bring them home again afterward.
Now as the winter this year was very bitter and as heavy snow had been falling for several
days, all the boys came well bundled up in warm clothes with fur caps pulled over their
ears, padded jackets, gloves and knitted mittens and strong thick sold boots.
Only little wolf presented himself shivering in the poor clothes he used to wear both
weekdays and sundays and having honest feet only thin socks in heavy wooden shoes.
These naughty companions noticing his sad face and awkward appearance made many jokes
at his expense, but the little fellow was so busy blowing on his fingers and was suffering
so much with chill-blanes that he took no notice of them.
So the band of youngsters walking to and to behind the master started for the church.
It was pleasant in the church which was brilliant with lighted candles and the boys excited
by the warmth took advantage of the music of the choir and the organ to chatter among
themselves in low tones.
They bragged about the fun that was awaiting them at home.
The mayor's son had seen just before starting off an immense goose ready stuffed and dressed
for cooking.
At the aldermen's home there was a little pine tree with branches laden down with oranges,
weeds and toys, and the lawyer's cook had put on her cap with such care as she never
thought of taking unless she was expecting something very good.
Then they talked too of all that the Christ child was going to bring them.
Of all he was going to put in their shoes which you might be sure they would take good
care to leave in the chimney place before going to bed.
In the eyes of these little urchins as lively as a cage of mice were sparkling in advance
over the joy they would have when they awoke in the morning and saw the pink bag full
of sugar plums, the little-led soldiers ranged in companies in their boxes, the menageries
smelling a varnished wood, and the magnificent jumping jacks in purple and tinsel.
Alas, little wolf knew by experience that his old miser of an ant would send him to
bed supper-less, but with child-like faith and certain of having been all the year as
good and industrious as possible, he hoped that the Christ child would not forget him,
and so he too planned to place his wooden shoes in good time in the fireplace.
He nightmass over, the worshipers departed, eager for their fun, and the band of pupils
always walking to and to, and following the teacher left the church.
Now in the porch and seated on a stone bench set in the niche of a painted arch a child
was sleeping, a child in a white woolen garment, but with his little feet bare in spite of
the cold.
He was not a beggar for his garment was white and new, and near him on the floor was a bundle
of carpenter's tools.
In the clear light of the stars, his face, with its closed eyes, shone with an expression
of divine sweetness, and his long curling blonde locks seemed to form a halo about his
brow, but his little child's feet, made blue by the cold of this bitter December night,
were pitiful to see.
The boys, so well clothed for the winter weather, passed by quite indifferent to the unknown
child.
Several of them, sons of the notables of the town, however, cast on the vagabond looks in
which could be read all the scorn of the rich for the poor, of the well fed for the hungry.
But little wolf coming last out of the church, stopped, deeply touched before the beautiful
sleeping child.
Oh dear, said the little fellow to himself, this is frightful.
This poor little one has no shoes and stockings in this bad weather.
And what is still worse, he has not even a wooden shoe to leave near him tonight while
he sleeps, into which the little Christ child can put something good to soothe his misery.
And carried away by his loving heart, wolf drew the wooden shoe from his right foot,
laid it down before the sleeping child, and as best he could, sometimes hopping, sometimes
limping with his sock wet by the snow, he went home to his aunt.
Look at the good for nothing cried the old woman, full of wrath at the side of the shoeless
boy.
What have you done with your shoe, you little villain?
Little wolf did not know how to lie.
So although trembling with terror, when he saw the range of the old shrew, he tried to
relate his adventure.
But the miserly old creature only burst into a frightful fit of laughter.
Aha, so my young gentleman strips himself for the beggars.
Aha, my young gentleman breaks his pair of shoes for a bare foot.
Here is something new for soothe.
Very well, since it is this way, I shall put the only shoe that is left into the chimney
place, and I'll answer for it that the Christ child will put in something tonight to beat
you with in the morning, and you will have only a crust of red and water tomorrow, and
we shall see if the next time you will be giving your shoes to the first vagabond that
happens along.
And the wicked woman having boxed the ears of the poor little fellow, made him climb
up into the loft where he had his wretched cubby hole.
Desolate, the child went to bed in the dark, and soon fell asleep, but his pillow was
wet with tears.
But behold, the next morning when the old woman, awakened early by the cold, went downstairs,
a wonder of wonders.
She saw the big chimney filled with shining toys, bags of magnificent bonbons, and riches
of every sort.
And standing out in front of all this treasure was the right wooden shoe which the boy had
given to the little vagabond.
Yes, and beside it, the one which she had placed in the chimney to hold the bunch of
switches.
As little wolf, attracted by the cries of his aunt, stood in an ecstasy of childish delight
before the splendid Christmas gifts, shouts of laughter were heard outside.
The woman and child ran out to see what all this meant, and behold, all the gossips of
the town were standing around the public fountain.
What could have happened?
Oh, a most ridiculous and extraordinary thing!
The children of the richest men in the town, whom their parents had planned to surprise,
with the most beautiful presence, had found only switches in their shoes.
Then the old woman and the child, thinking of all the riches in their chimney, were filled
with fear.
But suddenly they saw the priest appear, his countenance full of astonishment.
Just above the bench placed near the door of the church, in the very spot where the night
before, a child in a white garment, and with bare feet in spite of the cold, had rested
his lovely head.
The priest had found a circuit of gold embedded in the old stones.
Then, they all crossed themselves devoutly, perceiving that this beautiful sleeping child,
with the carpenter's tools, had been Jesus of Nazareth himself, who had come back for
one hour, just to see it been when he used to work in the home of his parents.
And reverently they bowed before this miracle, which the good God had done to reward the faith
and the love of a little child, and of little wool's wooden shoes.
We spend so much time of our lives switched on, scrolling, multitasking, reacting.
Miraval Resorts is an invitation to unplug and be present.
For over 30 years, Miraval has been a global leader in mindfulness and well-being, helping
people reconnect to what matters, body, mind, and spirit.
Through meditation, yoga, time and nature, equine experiences, and moments designed for
true presence, Miraval offers practical tools you can carry into everyday life.
Miraval meets you where you are, and supports wellness that actually lasts.
Discover more by visiting miravalresorts.com.
Hey, it's Shelley Roam, so working late nights on the radio gives you a lot of quiet time
with your thoughts, and sometimes your mind just won't slow down.
I've always wondered why our minds do what they do, why they race, why we get stuck in
the same loops, and how we can actually work with our thoughts instead of fighting them.
That's what led me to the waking up app.
Waking up by neuroscientist Sam Harris, waking up is so much more than meditation.
It blends neuroscience, philosophy, and guided practices that help you really understand
your mind.
You learn to notice your thoughts, slow them down, and gain perspective which makes all the
difference when you're really feeling overwhelmed.
I use waking up after long nights to reset, feel calmer, and start the day with more clarity.
If the new year has you thinking about a smarter, more meaningful reset, explore waking
up free for 30 days with my link, waking up dot com slash Rome.
It really changes the way you think about your thoughts.
Greenlight helps kids learn about money the way most of us never did, by actually using
it.
It's a debit card and money app that teaches kids to earn, save, and spend in real life.
Not just swipe and hope for the best.
Learning happens naturally in the moment.
Parents can set limits, see spending in real time, and guide better habits along the way,
all in one place, without constant check-ins or cash runs.
Don't wait.
Try Greenlight Risk Free today at greenlight.com slash Try Greenlight.
Merry Christmas! - Daily Christmas Stories
