Nothing Says Christmas Like Tropical Fruit

With my mother, it’s a tradition that there is an orange at the bottom of our Christmas stockings to let us know we’ve reached the end. I’m just starting to get old enough to suspect Santa isn’t real. Thinking how clever I am, I tell my mother that I want a pineapple instead of an orange. When I come down the stairs on Christmas, it’s obvious that there’s not a pineapple in my stocking.

Feeling smug, I pull out all the little gifts inside, but when I get to where the orange should have been, I feel something cold and metallic. Confused, I pull the item out, and find myself holding a can of pineapple chunks.

I outgrew Santa not long after that, anyway, but it’s still one of my favorite Christmas stories.