As the year winds down I thought I just reflect a little bit and wonder out loud.....
Christmas for me is a contradiction in feelings. On one had it is my favorite time of the year yet on the other hand it is a time when I tend to get a little melancholy. Memories of Christmas in my childhood were not always happy and that left an impression that has remained with me throughout my life. It taught me a valuable lesson about what the meaning of Christmas is, and why it is so important to enjoy the season.
Of course the important reason for Christmas is to celebrate the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. To those of us that believe this alone is enough reason to celebrate. But then there is the commercial side of Christmas which plays an important part in the family unit and in society.
When I think of Christmas, I think of smiling faces, children laughing, singing Christmas carols, fires in the fireplace, wonderful old movies and fantastic family dinners.
I remember it was this time of year my mother would always bake Cinnamon Bread which was one of my favorites. I loved it so much she would bake a loaf or two for the family and one exclusively for me. Oh, I can still smell the aroma of the Cinnamon waifing through the air.
Another tradition was decorating the house. Inside and out there were lights, garland and tinsel, and every year we would go harvest a freshly cut tree. My father, brothers and I would go off to a tree farm and tramp through the hills in search of the "perfect" tree. I can envision the grey sky with drifts of fluffy snow rolling around out like wave on the ocean making the trek a little difficult at times. Of course when we did this I was very young and my attention span was that of a puppy. I would run up and down the hills while the others cut down the tree and hauled it back to the car. And every year my dad said the same thing to my mom, " Bea, Barry is like a fart in a windstorm out there, running around like a wild child. Next year we were going to get an artificial tree", and of course it never happened, at least not for several more years.
I remember my Mom putting the Christmas records on the stereo and my father would start singing along with them. It didn't take long until we all tried our hand at the family version of "American Kareoke" singing along with my Dad and the records.
The there was watching the old classics on TV. My Mom would pop us up a pan of popcorn and we'd sit and watch the black and white TV for hours. A Christmas Carol, It's A Wonderful Life, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, and all of the others helped make the season special.
The on Christmas Eve we'd go to the midnight service at church and when we got home "Santa" had already been there!!! The cookie and celery were gone from the plat as well as the glass of milk. We were all allowed to open just one present then it was off to bed, to try to sleep, until the clock struck 6!
Some of my favorite toys I received at Christmas. Of course a bag of "Army Men" went a long way until Bertsch, Roach and I discovered lighter fluid and flame throwers! LOL I remember this "Lady Bug" I got when I was about 3, it was motorized and went straight until it hit something then it would change directions. Now that was cool to a 3 year old. Then there was the year Brad and I got plastic swords and shield, ala Sleeping Beauty", and he'd beat the hell out of my head with his sword. Did I ever mention how much I loved my brother? Then the year he got a "Stromberg Slot Car" set, I was so jealous because it was so neat! Then he and I got skis' one year, I think I was about 8. "Seven Seas" was one of my favorite board games because I loved geography as a kid. Then there was the "Snubby Gun" snub nose 38 with a shoulder holster that shot "Greenie Stick'em Caps". Of course ever kids dream was a "Davy Crockett" coon skin cap and musket. And the ultimate gift was a "Daisy" lever action BB gun! (Yes, they did say you could shoot your eye out)
The funny thing is we would have had fun with anything back in those days. It was a time for the family to "be a family"and give thanks to God for his son. Those were the good times....memories that live with a person forever. As for the not so nice ones, well, it's not worth worrying about because this is a time to be happy.
So, Merry Christmas to you and yours! May this holidays season create wonderful memories for you! And Merry Christmas to you Brian!
Those are some of my memories, what are some of yours?
