Alice was very angry. Her five year-old brother, Pete, had broken the stereo she got from their parents as a birthday gift.

Alice had dreamed for so long to get that device and now it was broken. Pete had borrowed it without permission and taken it to the balcony of the apartment but he dropped it, and it tumbled down and shattered on the sidewalk below.
 

	Indignant, Alice's heart of was filled with anger and she began to shout: - I'll never forgive you, Pete! And the crying boy explained: - I did not do it on purpose, Alice! I just wanted to listen to music as you do!
- But why didn't you ask me? I would have shown you how to make it work!

Their mother, worried about the fight, tried to calm her daughter down:

- Alice, dear, be patient with you brother. He did not mean to!

- I don't care, Mom! I'll never talk to that brat again!

And both went away crying, each one to their room.

However, Christmas approached. The whole city was illuminated by colored lights, decorated trees and shops with beautiful storefronts. In people's homes, everything invited to union and love, reminding the birth of Jesus. But Alice remained adamant. She would not forgive her brother. Her mother, worried about her daughter, embraced her one day and said:

- Honey, now you're almost a young woman, you are growing up; you are responsible, studious, and observant of your duties, and this is all very good. However, you need to develop more patience and understanding with those who still are not like you!

- Ah...! I know! You want me to forgive Pete.

- No, my dear. That only you can do because it regards your little heart. But remember: hurt is rust that corrodes us inside. So I just ask you to think about it; try to remember how you behaved when you were his age. Christmas, which is a celebration of love, will come soon and we must be united.

- I know. We celebrate Jesus' birthday.

- That's right. But Christmas also means we open our hearts to tolerance, understanding, and forgiveness... ultimately, to love our neighbor as Jesus recommended to us. And who is our closest neighbor?

The girl lowered her head and remained silent.

She understood perfectly what her mother wanted to explain to her.

And she thought: "Oh, Jesus! Help me solve this problem with my brother."

Suddenly she began to remember everything she did when she was younger: all the scolding she had gotten, the grounding for doing wrong things. Even some facts that she had forgotten about. And now, thinking of her brother, Alice felt that her little heart was changing, as if a dark mist was dissipating, leaving her clean inside, once again fine with herself and with others.

Feeling relieved, she thought: "I have to make peace with Pete! But how?"

At that moment, their mother said as she came from the kitchen:

- Alice, we need set up our Christmas tree!

- You got it, Mom. I will do it - the girl replied.

Just then, her brother entered the room: quiet, sad, with his head down. And feeling she had found the answer to conciliation, and taking up the opportunity, as if nothing had happened between them, Alice asked:

- Pete, will you help me set up the Christmas tree?

The boy's expression changed. He widened his eyes, glad to see that his sister was again talking to him.

- Of course I'll help you!...

So, from that moment on, they worked together to assemble the tree. And at each new ornament they placed, another bit of hurt would fade away from the girl.
 

When they finished the task, they switched on the lights. The tree was beautiful! Their mother came to see the result and was amazed: - My children, this is the most beautiful Christmas tree we've ever had! And Alice, holding her little brother's hand, agreed:
- You're right, Mom. It is just that it was set up with love. Isn't it, Pete?

The boy hugged his sister gratefully.

- Will you forgive me, Alice? I did not mean to break your stereo.

- Let's forget about it, Pete. The love that unites us is far more important.

On Christmas night, with peace back to their home, the family gathered to celebrate the birthday of
Jesus with a prayer of gratitude for all that they had received that year and the Master's presence in their lives through His lessons.

To Alice's surprise, Grandma Catherine gave her a beautiful packaged gift.
 

When opening it, Alice had a big surprise: it was a CD stereo player far more modern and smaller than the other that had gotten broken. She hugged Grandma and Grandpa, grateful for their kindness, who knowing the problem created in the family, decided to give her that gift.

However, looking at her little brother, she embraced him happily and said in front of everyone:

- Thank you, Grandma! But I've found that in life, the best gift is the love that we give and receive in return!

MEIMEI

(Psychographed by Celia Xavier de Camargo on 03/12/2012.)