Xmas 2024
CURVED TRACKS IN THE SNOW
The icy wind whistled around Paul as he pushed his cross-country skis through the deep snow, each uphill step a struggle. It was a new moon, and the night sky was black but for the sparkling of stars, whose silver light illuminated the snow-covered mountains. His plan had seemed straightforward: Ski up to the family’s mountain cabin to spend a peaceful Christmas Eve alone, then glide down to the valley for tomorrow’s festivities. The trail was second nature in daylight, one he’d taken countless times before. Yet now, in the grip of night, nothing looked familiar.
He pulled his hood tighter around his face and squinted at the map on his phone. The phone reception was almost nonexistent, and the battery indicator flashed red. “Not now,” he whispered as the screen went dark with one final vibration. Glancing back, he saw the curved track his skis had carved in the fresh snow, forming an elegant L-shape, like some kind of message. “L for lost cause,” Paul thought bitterly. What on earth had he been thinking, heading into the mountains on skis in the dead of night?
He felt the cold creeping into his bones and realized he would soon have to decide. Press on into the darkness, or hunker down until dawn? He decided to keep going. Anything was better than waiting around to get frostbite. The cabin couldn’t be much further, he told himself, wondering when he would finally get there. Then, just as he was about to give up hope, a warm glow flickered through the trees ahead. “The cabin!” he cried out. At last! But his relief quickly turned to confusion. Why was there a light on inside? And their family cabin stood on a small hilltop with a clear view, not nestled between the trees like this one. Still, he struggled through the snow until he finally reached the little cabin.
As he opened the door, the aroma of baked apples mingled with hot cocoa washed over him, and he heard the crackling of a fire. Paul froze. Who could be here in the middle of the night? “Come in before you freeze to death!” boomed a deep voice, but Paul couldn’t seem to move. Then, something made him step through the doorway, pulling the door closed behind him. And there, sitting in front of him was none other than Santa Claus. Or at least someone who looked like him: broad-shouldered in his crimson coat, with a gleaming white beard and sparkling eyes that danced like the northern lights.
“Uh, good evening,” Paul stammered, wondering if the cold had made him lose his mind. The man’s rich laughter filled the cabin. “Good evening, my boy. Sit down, warm yourself up. You look like you’ve had a tough night.” Paul sank into a chair and Santa pressed a steaming mug into his hands.
“What brings you up here?” Paul finally ventured. The man’s eyes crinkled with amusement as he gestured toward a package by the fireplace. “Last-minute present pick-up. Click & Collect really saves time, and this cabin is one of my pickup spots. But tell me, how did you end up on my doorstep?”
So Paul shared his tale over the steaming cocoa, his frozen limbs gradually thawing in the warmth. Santa listened intently, nodding, and then told him: “You know, life has a way of guiding us exactly where we are meant to be, even when our paths take strange turns.” He winked at Paul, reached for an ancient compass on the table and handed it to him. “This will help you find your way home. And remember, sometimes what you’re searching for isn’t your destination, but the journey there.”The first light of dawn was appearing when Paul left the cabin in the morning. His ski tracks from the night before were still visible – that curved L in the snow – and beside them, he spotted big, round footprints. In that moment, he understood what the L truly stood for: love. He turned for one last look at the cabin, but it had vanished. All that remained was the compass in his hand – and the warmth glowing deep in his heart.
We wish you a Christmas season filled with contemplation, hope and thankfulness.
May the magic of these days cast its glow not only in our homes, but in the hearts
of all people as well, and bring peace to the world.
Your Lantzerath family and all the employees in the Lantzerath-Group