A great little write here, Larry, with the same nostalgic feel of your grandfather piece.
Personally, I find that stories told by people often carry a wealth of advice - perhaps just a little more subtly than outright advice!

What struck me most about this poem was the positive feel of the first three stanzas - as above - the nostalgic feel as you remember those stories, perhaps told at bedtime or around the dinner table. But then, the final stanza hits almost like a senryu would:
"I wonder if she tired of those stories or just stopped believing them"
^^^^^

I take it things didn't work out too well for them in the end - I can relate to that with my own parents. People grow apart or simply tire of each other sometimes, I guess.

A moving piece, Larry. All the very best,
Ben

Hi Larry,
I agree with Ben. This is a lovely nostalgic write. Christmas tends to remind us of previous years and how different it was. People tend to stick to family traditions in an attempt to keep the magic alive. Telling the same stories is a way of achieving this. Why the stories ceased? Well, that's a whole other story!

Take care Larry.

Michael

I think story telling is a persons way of teaching another with just pure life experiences...
sometimes those stories can cause resentment or be to hard on another...

this poem made me dig deep and think about life and how others either grow or grow apart from the other. Very powerful and touching poem by you!