This is a true story our family passed down and told every Christmas. It has a message that’s clear and timeless —-no matter what, never give up!
It was December, during a time that would forever be called, "The Great Depression".
The blizzard began last night just after dark with gentle flurries. Now just before dawn, it was snowing hard and here and there, the wind was busy building shoulder-high drifts.
Frank pulled his coat collar up as high as it would go, a move to shrink the opening to make it less inviting to wayward snowflakes. "Never mind," he thought, "just never you mind. It's winter, it's snowing, and it is what it is."
This morning, like every morning, snow or no snow, Frank walked the tracks, pocketing chunks of coal that escaped from railroad cars bouncing along the iron tracks. They wouldn't buy food, but each black nugget was precious and did its best to keep his family warm.
Times were tough. The blizzard only served to punctuate just how much worse things could get.
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