You know this time of year your memories can really get vivid when recalling each Christmas that has now gone into the ol' mind bank. It would not seem possible for a senior mind such as mine to clearly recall the Christmas of a six or seven year old, I mean that was a while back, don't you know. Well, it was a significant year in that we as a family did not have a whole lot of free cash on hand. You see our Mom and Dad had lost all they had on a really bad business deal and we were living in a house that had little heat, no running water, and occasional lighting from a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I say occasional since our power kept getting disconnected by the power company, only to have our Dad climb back up onto the electric pole outside our home and reconnect us to the electrical grid. Boy did this tend to tick off the power company to no end...but I am slipping away from my memories of Christmas here. It does relate, but only on the fringes.
As we approached Christmas Day, I can recall Mom and Dad trying to see how they could do something for their four young'uns. Mom often sat down with us to look through the dream book, known as the Sears Catalog, and asked questions as to our likes and wants. Maybe it was because I was the youngest, or maybe for some other reason, every time Mom asked me what I wanted, I just could not say. I know it hardly was that I was noble and did not want to burden them with wants that they could not supply...I just knew I really did not want to say what or if I wanted anything. Well, Christmas Morn arrived and we had a wonderful day with stuffed stockings, big ol' oranges, cakes, nuts and such. It was kinda' like a Walton Christmas for those old enough to have enjoyed John Boy's recollections of his childhood.
Mom had made us some nifty shirts out of flour bags that were actually made of cloth that had patterns on them. We probably also got some shoes...but that might just be a faulty thought of that day. You know what I remember most about that particular holiday period? It was having my Dad and his kin buy fireworks and then watching them act like they were kids again. At some point, they set off a rocket of sorts, and since they were afraid of what it would do, they lit the fuse then took off for the back side of our house...guess where that rocket landed just as it exploded? Yep, right where they stood, just off the back porch! The laughter and good spirit was a welcomed change from the fear, uncertainty and tension that constantly surrounded our home in those meager days.
If you will allow me to tell of one other childhood Christmas that will always be engraved on my brain, it took place at 115 Azalea Drive, just outside of Griffin, GA. You see our family was beginning to just see the light at the end of a long financial tunnel. Dad had been hired by Dundee Mills in Griffin and he worked in the chemical engineering section, got paid well for that day and time. Mom and Dad were really beginning to get their feet back on the ground, however they were not quite there and needed one last leg up. That leg up was supplied by my Mom's, Mom and Dad...known to us kids as Memama and Dedaddy. You see we moved into their home until we could afford a place of our own.
The one Christmas we spent with them, Memama, Dedaddy, Aunt Sarah, and the six of us, all crammed into a three bedroom house was probably the most magical Christmas that I remember. You see, Roy and I shared a bedroom upstairs, and on that special morning we awoke real early, snuck down those steps to find a real wonderland of Santa gifts. Heck, we even got stuff we did not ask for, but the most wonderful things were our bikes! But you know what made that Christmas so special? It was the glow surrounding the tree that year, a glow that was made even more special because we were surrounded by our grandparents, our parents...and in my case, by my neat sisters and brother. Heck we had to be close all bunched up together like we were!
Yep, those were special Christmas Day memories of my childhood. I could recall more here, but I do want to have you return next month! :o) We are busy building more memories with our family and hope our kids and their kids will be able to look back many decades from now and recall their special times. The warmth of meal times, especially breakfast over a good mug of The Alpaca Bean Coffee, talking about our lives together. Making plans together, looking to how we will fit into our next stage of life...how we will blend our lives together. On Christmas Morn, taking the time to reflect on our hopes, dreams, and seeking guidance from the source and the reason for the season.
