Christmas memories

Merry Christmas to you! Today, it’s a quiet day around my house and since our holiday celebrations happened weeks ago, today is good day for reflection and some “me time.”

I am reminded of some special Christmas memories….

Christmases spent as a kid waiting out Christmas Eve at my Nanny and Papa’s house – waking up to the evidence that Santa and his reindeer had visited during the night…..half eaten cookies and some celery or carrot sticks.

I remember going to Arkansas, when I was older, to spend Christmas in the town where my Nanny and Papa grew up. Driving around the back roads and through town hearing stories of how life was for them way back when.

I remember a special road in that town that was lit up for Christmas. The decorations were beautiful. One year, we got out of the car to walk up a hillside where groups had gathered by candlelight to sing carols. My Papa who had been battling Alzheimer’s for years couldn’t tell us his name, but that night, we stood side by side in the crowd and he sang every word of those Christmas carols. I remember how his face looked in the candlelight….there were signs of “him” there and a faint smile that gave him a boyish look.

I remember the Christmases spent with my husband…..not the ones where we wowed each other with expensive gifts, but the ones where we gave to others.  Like the year that we surprised a co-worker with a tree, decorations and presents for her and her kids. Never had a doorbell ditch brought so much joy!  A couple of years ago, my husband’s work adopted a family through Angel Tree. We took the money collected and combined some of our own money and went shopping. The sight of my 6’3” hubby digging through little girl clothes looking for the right Hannah Montana shirt was precious. Never has Christmas shopping been so much fun.

Last year, Christmas was completely unique. Last year, I celebrated Christmas with about 12 other women in jail. There, removed from presents, hustle, bustle, trees and tinsel – we celebrated in our own way. A make shift picture of a tree was decorated with ripped up paper and pasted on the wall of our day room with labels removed off of shampoo bottles to act as tape.

We drew names to give gifts that consisted of items out of the few belongings we had. Goodwill and cheer isn’t conjured up with presents and lights. I know that for a fact because we didn’t have all of that there in jail—however, there was goodwill plenty and cheer that came from celebrating another day down.

I led the group in Christmas carols and we finished by talking about our Christmas memories. We ended the night with a prayer for our families and hugs all around.

Today as you wade through wrapping paper and work through mounds of Christmas cookies, remember that memories last longer than toys. Make memories today. Capture them in your heart and revisit them often.

Merry Christmas!