I have said before that Thanksgiving is quickly becoming my favorite holiday, but the past couple of weeks have reminded me of why Christmas will always be my favorite time of the year! Yes, it gets hectic. Yes, it can be stressful. Yes, it somehow brings out the best and worst in people. However, Christmas is that time of year when so many memories are made and we relive those each year thereafter. Whether it is a gift you received, an event that happened, a tradition that was carried on, or just something that helps make Christmas merrier - we all have memories that add to the fullness and depth of this time of year.
I have lots of Christmas memories that are brought to my mind's surface every year. As a kid, I remember the year I got an Atari - remember those? The first gaming system pre-Nintendo days. Back in the day, we thought it was very high-tech to play games like Pong, Pac-Man, and Pitfall. I also remember the year I got a lot of He-Man toys. He-Man, Skeletor, the castles - it was all great until I turned and saw that my younger sister, who was such a tom-boy, also received a He-Man toy from Santa Claus! How could Santa do such a thing? I remember the year I woke up to my first keyboard and the year our family got its first computer - very big and bulky but I was so excited!
More than the gifts, Christmas carries a lot of traditions growing up. Christmas Eve always included our family gathered around the piano singing Christmas carols. We all had to perform a solo or duet - which meant Mom and Dad sang O Holy Night together, Cara sang her choice of song - loud and proud, I would wow the audience (my family) by tickling those ivories, and Christy would... well, whatever song she chose to sing was so quiet that we could barely make it out. We would usually finish the night with a Christmas movie, some snacks and then the big finale. As my sisters and I were nestled and all snug in our beds, Dad would walk the hall reading Twas the Night Before Christmas. After we fell asleep, Mom and Dad would open their gifts to each other and the next morning we would wake up early - eager to see what had been marked off of our lists. The other tradition carried on every Christmas morning was Mom's once-a-year big breakfast cooking!
As years go by, certain Christmas seasons stand out from the others. I remember the Christmas programs that we used to put on at my grandparents' house. There are a lot of grandkids so we each had a part. I usually held the prestigious role of the narrator and one year I can remember one of my sisters playing the role of the donkey. I am sure there is a good joke there, but I will just let it go this time. Since we do not always get snow in Tennessee, most white Christmases stand out as well. I remember the last Christmas with my dad before he passed away. Although it was a very hard time, I believe that the truths of Christmas shone even brighter that year because it was not about the gifts, but about being together as family - which are priceless moments that no material possession could ever compare. Now that there are little ones running around in our family again, Christmas has brought back some of its excitement and magic. I love watching Martha Ann open her gifts and seeing the excitement on her face. (Or as in the case last year when she opened my gift of a baby doll that I was told she really wanted - and very quickly made a frowny face and threw it across the room!) As Wylie gets older, I know that he will be just as excited to rip open the paper and see what Santa brought!
Christmas brings up many emotions and memories for everyone. I love reliving the old memories and making new ones. I hope and pray that the good memories far outweigh any bad and that the best ones are still to come!
No comments:
Post a Comment