Years ago, my brother and I discovered a writing project he’d done in school when he was 7 or 8 years old. It’s a very short essay about the holiday season, written in pencil within the outline of a Christmas tree on a piece of paper. At the top, a kind teacher wrote “Very nice Vinnie,” in red ink. This piece of paper hung on Vinnie’s bedroom door for ages, where we could laugh at the spelling and sentiment as often as we wanted. But last year I opened one of my presents to find the essay carefully framed, mine to behold forever. And now, yours:

My favret thing at chritmis to do with my famliy is to decarat the tree. And to open same of my christmis presints.

I olsow like to thik of ole the candy that will be in my stokin.

I olsow like to sit next to the worm fier plas. And think of wate santa clas will give me.

Wot i like the most abow chritmis is to give my presints to my famly.

Dec. 13 1990