The angel’s wings were silent as he glided toward the figure seated in the dark room. As he approached, the figure looked up, surprised.

"Michael! What are you doing here?" Gabriel asked. His own wings fluttered as he turned toward the newly arrived angel.

The visitor landed without a sound and smiled. "Just got back from two weeks R&R and thought I'd say hello before I head off to my next mission in the Middle East." He paused and his eyes clouded. "There's not much peace on Earth where I'm going.” His eyes moved to the bed. “Who’s that?”

"That's .” Both angels moved silently to the bed and looked in at the sleeping child. "Kind of makes you remember what the season is all about, doesn't it?"

"Sure does,” he said.

Michael continued to gaze at the sleeping child. "Did give you any REAL work this year?"

Gabriel grinned. "Nothing like yours. really quite easy to watch over.”

The other angel shook his head and sighed. "Oh, if only the rest of the world could make my job so simple."

"Michael, you know you'd be bored silly after a week in my shoes," Gabriel said, eyeing the other angel. Then he grew serious. “And we need you out there.”

Michael grinned. "Yeah, guess you're right. So tell me about your year. What kind of things did this family do to keep you busy?"

“Well, .”

“Sounds like you didn’t have to work very hard this year,” Michael teased. “What other things happened to them this year?”

“.”

Michael looked at his watch. “I’ve got to get going. Sorry to run. But duty calls.”

Gabriel nodded. "Take care of yourself,” he said. They hugged and said goodbye. Gabriel watched as the other angel took wing to the night and began to glide away, then yelled out to the retreating figure: "Peace on Earth!"

Sample Instant Christmas Letter

The angel’s wings were silent as he glided toward the figure seated in the dark room. As he approached, the figure looked up, surprised.

"Michael! What are you doing here?" Gabriel asked. His own wings fluttered as he turned toward the newly arrived angel.

The visitor landed without a sound and smiled. "Just got back from two weeks R&R and thought I'd say hello before I head off to my next mission in the Middle East." He paused and his eyes clouded. "There's not much peace on Earth where I'm going.” His eyes moved to the bed. “Who’s that?”

"That's Robert.” Both angels moved silently to the crib and looked in at the sleeping child. "Kind of makes you remember what the season is all about, doesn't it?"

"Sure does,” he said.

Michael continued to gaze at the sleeping child. "Did he give you any REAL work this year?"

Gabriel grinned. "Nothing like yours. Alice, John and Robert are all really quite easy to watch over.”

The other angel shook his head and sighed. "Oh, if only the rest of the world could make my job so simple."

"Michael, you know you'd be bored silly after a week in my shoes," Gabriel said, eyeing the other angel. Then he grew serious. “And we need you out there.”

Michael grinned. "Yeah, guess you're right. So tell me about your year. What kind of things did this family do to keep you busy?"

“Well, in July they went to Boston to see John's parents and sister. His sister Susan just had a baby. Anna Nicole was born May 28 and John and Alice loved spending a week playing Auntie and Uncle. That was fun for me to watch. Then they took a weekend camping trip to Yosemite at the end of August. Robert went on his first horseback ride, which he loved.”

“Sounds like you didn’t have to work very hard this year,” Michael teased. “What other things happened to them this year?”

“Robert started second grade and is really enjoying school. John fell over a ladder in the spring and broke his arm, but he won't have any permanent damage from the accident - other than his permanently damaged ego. And Alice got promoted at work, so she's now managing the evening customer service shift. ”

Michael looked at his watch. “I’ve got to get going. Sorry to run. But duty calls.”

Gabriel nodded. "Take care of yourself,” he said. They hugged and said goodbye. Gabriel watched as the other angel took wing to the night and began to glide away, then yelled out to the retreating figure: "Peace on Earth!"