The Little Green Lantern

A short pre Christmas story

A little green lantern lay at the bottom of a box of Christmas ornaments, next to a tray of candles.

The box had been brought down from the attic as the family did every year, when they decorated for Christmas.

The little green lantern was an old heirloom.

Once it had been the centre piece of the family’s seasonal display, sitting proudly in the window holding a candle.

But as times had changed, the family had grown bored of it and replaced it with fancier fayre. It had fallen out of favour. As far as lights went,there was so much competition for pride of place these days;

Over the years the household had accumulated

Flashing lights

Coloured lights

Lights shaped like snowflakes and stars

Lights with accompanying music

What could a dusty old green lantern do except…..hold a tiny candle?

“I’d like to put the lantern out anyway”

said the little girl.

She was an old soul nestling in a young body and there was something about the simplicity of the lantern that appealed to her.

Her brothers and sisters thought she was silly.

As they watched the houses across the street with their illuminated silver reindeer and their own Christmas tree lights twinkling red and gold, they wondered “why do you want that old thing?”

The dusty old green lantern was chipped and old fashioned looking. But they humoured their little sister.

“Okay have your dumb lantern”

They said, mockingly.

She smiled, remembering her rosy cheeked grandmother who had always loved it. She placed it in the window and her mother lit the candle.

The nights passed.

Midwinter grew cruel and each evening seemed colder and darker than the one that went before it. Sometimes the candle inside the little green lantern would sway a little but it was nothing much to look at really. It couldn’t possibly compete with led microdots, rainbow curtain trellis….

Still, it brought the little girl peace, watching its flame dance to the draughts that found themselves inside the house. If she leaned in close, she could feel its warmth, watch its blueish aura coat her finger tips.

Then came the evening there was a furious storm. The wind howled, rain raged and as the family gathered for dinner all of a sudden there was a power cut and all the lights (as well as everything else) went out.

Everywhere was black.

The flashes stopped flashing.

The colours stopped changing.

The chasers stopped chasing.

All except for the candle light inside the little green lantern.

There it remained, bright, steady and constant.

There it stood unwavering amongst the chaos that unfolded around it.

All it could do was house light.

But sometimes, a tiny unwavering light is needed.

Sometimes, something seemingly small and worthless does not show it’s true value until the most difficult times arise.

And

Sometimes - as both the lantern and the little girl knew - holding a tiny light in the darkness is the most important job in the entire world.