My casserole, laden with potatoes and cheese,

Stuffed full of donated venison,

Joins the others this Christmas morning

Laid out on the covered table beside the sweet rolls.

(I hope they like mine best),

My competitive spirit alive and well

Instead the Homeless Shelter surprises me.

My daughter’s elbow, sharp and relentless,

Digs into my side — a swift rolling of her eyes

In the direction of a cockroach scurrying by.

Suddenly distracted, smiles from a toothless face

Show the light from within

Revealing not just who this man had been

But where he’s headed.

“Thank you, this is the only meal I’ll have today.”

“Grandpa” from Alaska weaves his charm

Singing us a blessing in his native tongue.

“I love you,” he says.

“I love you too,” says my little girl.

“God loves you even more than I do,” says he.

An endless game enjoyed this Christmas morn

Our family extends right now

To include them all.

Just how lucky can we be?

— Ronda Miller lives in Lawrence.