Prince George’s Post
True Christmas Story Teaches Goodness of Giving

 A few years ago at Christmastime, while visiting his grandmother, John Snyder asked her about her childhood in Meyersdale, Pa.

As Anna Snyder and her grandson sat at the kitchen table sipping coffee, the elder Snyder told him about one Christmas that was her most memorable.

John was intrigued by the tale so after her visit to his grandmother, he drove with his wife and two daughters from their Maryland home to the Western Pennsylvania town of Meyersdale where his grandmother grew up and where his father was born.

The town remained much as Snyder remembered it from his childhood visits to see his great grandmother, Elda Beal.  When he arrived at the address of his grandmother’s memories, he discovered the house was gone and the lot vacant.

As he stood there in the snow, Snyder tried to visualize his grandmother’s house as he replayed her story in his head.  On his drive back to his house near Annapolis, he couldn’t stop thinking about the story.  As he drove, the idea occurred to him that the story could be the basis for an interesting Christmas book.

Over the next few years, Snyder wrote and re-wrote different version of the story, adding to it and elaborating to make it more appealing.  The end result is a 168-page hardcover book entitled “The Golden Ring” that Snyder recently published.

The story is set in 918 in Meyersdale and takes the reader back to a time, when life was simpler.  It is a touching story about giving, faith, love and loss.

“It is a good, clean story that has family appeal,” Snyder said.  “People of all ages have told me they have enjoyed the book tremendously.  It makes the perfect holiday gift.”

Snyder added that. “There are so many fascinating stories that can be told by the older generations about what it was like back then.  All we have to do is ask them to tell us, and then listen.  These stories of the early lives of our parents and grandparents are being lost.  Every time an older person dies, they take a piece of history with them.  We need to get these stories out so we can pass them along to our children.  That was one of the reasons I wrote this book.”

Snyder’s grandmother died this  past Nov. 22, just days after he delivered a finished copy of the book to her.  She would have celebrated her 91^st birthday next April 11.

John Snyder and his family live in Gambrills, and he is currently planning his next novel.

The book sells for $15.95, and is available at Borders Books & Music Stores as well as Christian and independent stores.

Snyder will appear in Borders in Bowie from 2 to 5 p.m. Dec. 19 to sign copies of his book.