Coal

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Coal. A Christmas children’s story about a bully’s bond with a lump of coal.

Down and down the chimney chute,
To bring you lots of sadness,
This lump of coal is here to remind you,
Of all your silly madness.
Don’t be a naughty boy,
Be more, spread joy.

Now this story is about a young, disenfranchised lump of coal. Let’s call him Coal. Coal has been shipped away and exiled from his main purpose in life: to warm the world. In the coal mines, Coal had a place to live, a place to be. He had other coal friends and felt really connected and happy.

Now he will rest in the place of the naughtiest boy in the world: Cole (ironic name coincidence).

Cole has been a bad boy this Christmas. It wasn’t always this way. Over the years, Cole became angry with the world as he saw his life become more and more… existentially complex. Perhaps Cole’s family was the greatest dysfunction of all. For most bullies, this is all too common.

He started bullying other kids. He called them names. He fought and fought and fought, screamed and screamed and screamed, taking his frustrations out on anyone and anything – even innocent trees…and, as a result, his toes.

Ow!

This is why, this Christmas, Cole will become acquainted with Coal from the coal mines. Santa is teaching this naughty boy a lesson, and a small lump of coal should do just the trick for his Christmas stocking.

Naturally, on Christmas, and for three whole subsequent months, Cole threw a temper tantrum upon receiving just one boring gift of Coal.

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Coal certainly took a beating for those three months, after being tossed across rooms, thrown in garbage bins, and kissing glass windows as they shattered.

Coal was actually enjoying all of the attention he received. This was better than burning in a fireplace.

Cole took notice of Coal’s delight. Both neglected parties started to form a bond. Together, Cole and Coal became great friends, keeping each other company during good times and bad.

As Cole grew up, several years into adulthood, he reflected upon his misdoings as an adolescent.

Thoughts:
What was I thinking?
Poor kids 🙁
Would I want to be treated this way?
Poor window.
I should have apologized.
I should have said I’m sorry.
I was lucky to get Coal.
I was such a naughty boy.
Santa was right.
My parents deserved better.
I sure liked ice cream.

It was a wild ride with Coal, whom he has kept for all of these years on his bedside table. A reminder of the destructive past and the uncommon friendship.

Cole vowed to be a positive inspiration to kids. Maybe adulthood changed him, or maybe it was Coal.

This ex-bully knew that he could influence others to be more kind to one another.

There was no place for bullying. Out of Cole’s bond with this lump of coal came an understanding that gratitude was the greatest gift of all.

To all the poor gifts,
The disappointed misfits:
A lump of Coal is better,
Than no gifts ever.

This is the Christmas origin story of Coal.

The end.

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