Christmas in August

The previous Christmas had been one
They wished they all could forget.
The family got together,
But no one felt like celebrating.
Their mother had just been diagnosed
With incurable cancer,
And only had a short time to live.
Her oldest son
Had moped around
For months afterwards
Trying to come up with
An appropriate eulogy,
But mere words couldn’t express
The sorrow he felt.
Christmas was traditionally
The time each year
When the whole family gathered,
And the realization set in
That his mother would never see
Another Christmas.
Suddenly an idea occurred to him.
Why not bring Christmas
To his mother?
The biggest challenge he faced
Was finding an appropriate tree
In mid-August.
The family rallied to the cause,
And everyone came.
Each person got to say
What needed to be said
To acknowledge their matriarch
For who she had been for them.
The eulogy was delivered in person
So that she could have
The serenity and pleasure of knowing
How she would be remembered.
It was the best Christmas
The family ever had.