Saint Nicholas

In Romania, there is this tradition, that on the night between 5-th and 6-th of December, Saint Nicholas is coming, through the window, in the houses with kids. If the kids have been good, the Saint will leave sweets in their shoes, if the kids have been bad, He will leave a rod for them to be beaten with.
Later on, becoming an adult, I still put my shoes in the window hoping that someone close, who cares for me, will leave chocolate and not a whip.
It's the night where we should all ask ourselves: Have we been good? Was there anything else we could have done differently so that the people around us, to whom we have interacted over the year, would have felt more loved, or less hurt? If we were to go through this entire year struggle, all over again, where would we have changed our behaviour, for a better outcome? To whom should we have offered softer words, sweeter moments?
All these questions asked, sometimes none answered, or maybe some answers are more painful than the question itself. And yet we put our shoes up in the window, with faith in our souls, with hope in our minds...