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                                                                                                  Christmas Love
    Each December, I promised to make Christmas a relaxed and peaceful experience. I didn't spend too much time on card writing, endless cooking and decorating. Yet still, I found myself tired, unable to enjoy the valuable family moments, and of course, to understand the true meaning of 1.
    Christmas came again. My son, Nicholas, was in primary school that year. It was a very 2 season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter Celebration."All the parents were invited to be present at their show.
    I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working. Unwilling to 3 his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She told me there'd be a dress rehearsal(彩排) the morning of the presentation. All 4 unable to be present that evening were welcome to come then.
    So, on the 5of the dress rehearsal, I arrived ten minutes early. Around the room, I saw several other parents. Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as "Christmas", I didn't 6 anything other than fun. So, when my son's class rose to sing "Christmas Love", I was a little bit surprised by its title.
    Nicholas was excited, as were all of his classmates. Those in the front row held up large letters, one by one, to7out the title of the song. As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on 8 all the children presented the complete message "Christmas Love".
    The show was going smoothly, until suddenly, a small, quiet, girl in the front row held the letter "M"upside down — totally not knowing her letter "M"appeared as a "W". The audience(观众) laughed at this little girl's 9. But she had no idea why they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, 10 holding her "W". The laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A sudden11 came over the audience and eyes began to widen. At that moment, we understood why we were there and why we12the holiday.For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and clear: "CHRIST WAS LOVE".