Christmas Eve morning dawned early. Kajal woke up while it was still dark out (as usual) and asked me to walk her to the office and settle her into the computer. She loves playing learning games and watching videos on the computer but is terrified of walking through the house in the early morning darkness. I often get up, turn on the lights, get her settled then try and catch an hour or so more of sleep. We woke up this morning all excited... Happy Christmas Eve!!!! We hugged each other and wondered about Santa's big evening. I walked in to my office and settled in her at my desk which looks down over the front lawn and other homes in our little Cul-de-sac. In the darkness outside I noticed a Uhaul backed up to the house across the street from us. My heart started to race, I knew the house was still being built and was unoccupied, the new owners hadn't even closed on it.

Let me back up. As you know, we moved into our new house, our first house, this past November. I built a home with a local builder (so exciting picking everything out, built it all energy efficient etc, really cool) but a major problem we found during the building process is that during the time that a new home is completed but prior to new owners moving in the houses are being robbed. I had my washer and dryer stolen between the time they were delivered and my closing date. Although the town we moved into has an extremely low crime rate one of the rare issues is that these new homes that are sitting empty become targets and they've been broken into and raided, quite often. 3 houses in our little area had been robbed like mine, of appliances etc. Due to the current economic crisis, I knew that 4 house out of 8 in our little cul-de-sac had their financing fall through and were now sitting empty waiting for the owners to obtain new financing or for the builder to sell them.

So here I am, knowing these houses are sitting ducks and I see a uhaul backed up to a house in the cloak of darkness... all my warning bells went off. I called 911. As I spoke with the officer the truck pulled away and took off. The officer asked me to call again if I noticed anything else happen and I went about my day. My adrenalin was rushing so I skipped going back to sleep, kissed Kajal and took the dogs out for a walk. When I returned in to the house something, screaming instinct, made me look back out around our street. The Uhaul was back, only this time it was two houses down from me (another empty house) and in the still dark morning, a man was lifting an appliance into the back of the truck.

I didn't think... I ran out of my house toward the criminal. I screamed at the top of my lungs, waving my arms in the air "You Bastards!!!!! Get out of our NEIGHBORHOOD!!!! GET OUT OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD!!!!" The man freaked, dropped the appliance, took of at a run, jumping back into the truck and peeled out. I called 911 again, "They came back! They just tried to rob another house and I scared them off... their headed for the exit of our community... etc etc" The police were on it, not 2 minutes later I heard sirens and 5 minutes later a Sheriff's car pulled up outside 'the house' I brought him coffee and explained what happened. Kajal and my mother joined me as we listen to the police radio with him. The police had a car chase with the Robbers and chased them until they pulled the truck over on the side of the road, jumped out and hid in some woods. The police surrounded the woods, set up road blocks and brought out tracking dogs until they caught them! Neighbors came out to hear what happened and I have to admit, I felt incredibly proud of myself. I know I shouldn't have chased after these guys but boy it felt good to protect my neighborhood. As a single mom from Boston, I've gotten used to standing up for and protecting my new family... no one was messing with us and ours and even though that house is unoccupied it will be owned by a neighbor of mine... it is part of our community.

Kajal was confused but excited by what I'd done and we talked about right and wrong as well as the importance of asking for help from the police. When Kajal came home from India her only exposure to the police was highly negative... police stood in the way of starving children getting food, finding shelter. They caused harm not good. This was a great chance for her to see first hand that the police can be our friends... truly our allies. The Sheriff was great with her and to say it was an exciting start to Christmas would be putting it mildly.

The rest of the day was more traditional.. hanging our stockings, putting out cookies for Santa and carrots for the reindeer. We watched Santa's flight on the Norad tracker and listened to Christmas Carols. Kajal was still concerned that she was on the Naughty list and I tried to reassure her but her insecurities got the better of her and she had a hard time embracing the hope that Santa truly would show up for her.

Santa took the time out of his busy evening to call her, right at bedtime! Kajal was thrilled and it gave her the opportunity to ask him herself if she was on the naughty list. Santa reassured her that she was in fact, good and if she went to sleep quickly he would indeed come for her.

I had no trouble getting Kajal to sleep that night, she ducked her head under the covers and warned me to go to sleep quickly as well. We whispered under the covers until she dozed off with a hopeful smile on her face.

Christmas dawned magically with candy canes leading a path from the bedroom, down the stairs to the tree surrounded with gifts. Kajal opened every one, screaming with joy. Her new bike, dolls, videos, even socks, made her yell with pure glee.

I never want Kajal to be tied to the material, I always want her to know what's really important in life and to find joy in love, in peace and generosity of spirit and heart...

For many children, Christmas morning is about the presents. For Kajal, the presents reinforced to her that she really is 'good' and 'worthy' which are concepts she struggles with internally, too often.

What a beautiful morning it was.