Christmas is the time we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. It's that simple despite what the stores and the theaters and the newpapers would have us to believe. But as we celebrate with giving gifts and sending cards and singing carols, we make many happy memories. I was thinking back to some of the Christmas memories from my childhood:
- The Childrens Christmas program at church. We would say poems and sing songs. I remember how proud I'd be to be a part of that. There was always one kid who forgot his/her lines, occasionally someone would cry, and at least once someone would make everyone laugh. One year that was me. I was always pretty earnest about remembering my lines. My dad said that one year I started saying the wrong line. I got flustered and said "whoops" as I lifted my dress to cover my face. I was too young to remember it but thanks to my dad's recollections I could almost relive it.
- I remember one Christmas in particular when my mom sent me and my sister to bed. Then she and my dad snuck into the living room and did all the decorating. It was beautiful. We had these french doors and in the morning we could see the tree through them.
- One year I woke up and thought I heard Santa in the room filling my stocking. Our stockings were in our bedroom which seems odd. I was scared stiff.
- I'm not sure how this happened to be just me and my father but we went to a nearby town to buy a present for my grandmother. My father left me in the car and said if anyone came by to tell them that he'd be right back. He was just running in to pick up a specific item, probably a box of Russell Stover Candy or something. We didn't have a lot of money back then and it's possible that my father had to wait until the last minute to afford the gift. Anyway, along comes a policeman with this big fat pad of tickets and he looks at our expired meter. I was a rule-bound child and I was quite scared. I rolled down the window to try to explain to him that my dad would be right back. He looked at the meter then looked at me. Then he shut his ticket book and said "Oh never mind, it's Christmas Eve". I cried like a baby at his kindness. I still cry when I think of it.