It is snowing and cold. Everyone hurries to get home because it is Christmas Eve, so no one seems to care for what she has to say. She has tried desperately to sell some matches, but her basket is still full. And, it becomes heavier at the end of the day when darkness takes over because she has not put anything in her stomach after the slice of bread given to her by her mother in the morning before leaving the house. The cobblestone streets are quieter. She is tired of chasing after them and asking them to buy her matches. She just wants to go home and lie down in her grandmother’s lap under her favorite blanket. As she walks by a house, through a large window, she sees kids playing with their grandparents while their mother and father are putting foods on the dining table. The roasted chicken makes her stomach growl. Those hot potatoes look tasty as well. Her breath fogs up the window’s glass, and as she uses her left hand to wipe it, she realizes that it is numb. She places the basket on the ground and sits on her heels. She takes off her gloves, and she lights the first match. She feels warmer for a few seconds. She lights another. In the sparkling light, she sees her grandmother’s smiling face greeting her at the door. Her younger siblings circle her. Suddenly, they disappear and everything returns to darkness and cold. She quickly lights another to keep them with her. Her father picks her up in his arms and kisses her cheek. Her mother takes off her coat. She feels loved. 

The next morning, they find a body of a little girl, covered in the snow, lying in front of the window of the house, surrounded by burned matches. “Poor girl, she tried to warm herself up with these small matches.” They cry. However, they do not know that it is her happiest Christmas Eve

The above story is not mine. Unfortunately, I can’t remember its title or the name of the author. I read it when I was a teenager. It changed my life. The little girl is my match. She warms up my soul when life is tough. She gives me the strength to live my life to the fullest each day. I have nothing to give the world, so I want to share this match with everyone. Please pass it on.