Friendly Friday - Angie Lofthouse

Angie Lofthouse is a stay-home mom of six. She writes science fiction and a little fantasy, and her short fiction has appeared in a variety of print and online magazines and anthologies. Most of her published stories are available for free on her blog. (www.notesfromthewritingchair.blogspot.com). She is also an editor for Mindflights Magazine (www.mindflights.com). She lives in a beautiful canyon on the foothills of Mt. Loafer with her family of writers, artists, singers, composers, illustrators, and musicians.

Angie says:
In 1995, I was pregnant with my second child. My husband had just finished college and although he had a good job, we were still getting caught up from being in school. Money-wise, we were broke. With the baby due in December and money tight, I wondered what I was going to do for Christmas gifts for my family and friends. Many of my family members would give handmade crafts for Christmas. These cost more time than money and were more special for being made by hand. I thought I should do something like that, but there was one problem. I don't do crafts. I'm no good at it at all.

I had just started writing in earnest the year before and I thought, "Hey, I can write a Christmas story. That would make a good gift, right?" I wasn't sure it would, but I got to work and wrote a story before the baby came. I got it printed up with a cardstock cover and gave a copy to everyone in my family, plus a few close friends. They loved it. I wrote another one the next Christmas. And the next. A tradition was born! This week I mailed out my sixteenth Christmas story.

There have been many years when I wish I had never started this tradition. Many times when I haven't started writing until after Thanksgiving. (I'm not a fast writer, either, folks). The worst year, I didn't finish the story until Dec. 21. I put it in the mail on the 22^nd. With faith and prayers it arrived on Christmas Eve. I have expanded the tradition the past few years to include my neighbors, the kids' teachers and other friends (though they get the story on CD rather than printed).

I often wonder if my family wishes I would buy them a real gift instead. I wonder if my neighbors think I'm weird or if the kids' teachers wonder what the heck is wrong with me anyway. I have a mini-anxiety attack every year when I start distributing the story. Why did I do that? They'll all think I'm a total dork!

But you know what? They don't think I'm a total dork. My family doesn't long for some store bought, meaningless gift from me. Every fall, my neighbors start asking if I'm writing another story this year. That's why deep down I really love this tradition. I am giving a gift of myself. Something straight from my heart. And those are the gifts that really matter most.