Welcome to DriftOff. I'm your host Joanne, and you're listening to a bonus episode called

A Christmas Dream by Luisa Mae Elcott. You can listen to the whole story and other episodes

while enjoying ad-free listening by becoming a premium member at driftoff.supercast.com

or you can find the link in the show notes that's driftoff.supercast.com

Tonight's storytelling is called A Christmas Dream by Luisa Mae Elcott.

Like Scrooge, a young girl named Effie learns the true meaning of Christmas after being

visited by a Christmas spirit in a dream. Elcott, however, gives this familiar Christmas story plot

a bit of a twist at the end. And so I invite you now to settle in.

And as you ease into a comfortable sleep position, this automatically sends a message letting

your body and mind know that it's safe to wind down and relax. And as your body and mind

come to rest now, you can become aware of the sensation and the softness of your sheets and

blankets and pillows, letting this feeling of closeness surround you, enveloping you in comfort,

and in this quiet moment of restfulness, letting go of thoughts and worries is easy and everless,

allowing these words to wash over you and guiding you into a peaceful state that will help you

drift off. And so is always my friend, settling comfortably under the covers,

take a full comfortable breath, and as you exhale, relax and let go.

Allow any tension to just melt away, letting your body sink deeper and deeper down into the

softness of your bed. There is nothing else to do and nowhere else to be.

So just lay back, relax, and enjoy this story.

I'm so tired of Christmas, I wish there would never be another one exclaimed and unhappy looking

little girl who sat watching her mother arrange a pile of gifts two days before they were to be given.

Why Effie, what a dreadful thing to say, you're as bad as old scrooge. I'm afraid something will

...