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Uh, sorry, but no. At least, not yet. Perhaps by the time you read this I will
have everything under control. It seems there are a million things to do, tiny
but important details to take care of in preparation for the Big Day, the
celebration of the birth of Jesus. It was so much simpler when we were children, wasn't it?
When I look back upon my childhood I tend to focus on what
was best. I grew up in a blue-collar neighborhood in Brockton, Massachusetts,
specifically Campello. My father was a cabinet maker and my mother was a data
entry operator. I was the eldest of their four children. Christmas was
important to us because we were Catholics and my parents raised us in the
faith. Each year they made sure to give us a memorable holiday, and my
recollections of these special times taught me how to create memorable holidays for
my own child. Our Christmas memories are a reflection of our past and a
blueprint for our future.
I remember Christmas as a magical time, full of wonder and
delight, dreams and wishes. My parents did everything for us, and made sure we
had all the fixings of the holiday: the fresh-cut pine tree glittering with
lights, tinsel and garland, surrounded by piles of gifts wrapped in shiny paper
and bedecked with pretty bows, a feast of roast turkey or ham
with all the accompaniments, lasagna, meatballs, and desserts to last a week.
Each holiday was special, filled with love and laughter, the door open to friends and family who shared the holiday with us. We made memories, fuel for the future for when we grew up and spread apart due to marriage and jobs. These memories also helped to buffer the loss of too many of our loved ones who departed this world, including my precious dad. So many of these memories warm my heart, and bring my family closer to me in spirit. I’ll share a few.
Each holiday was special, filled with love and laughter, the door open to friends and family who shared the holiday with us. We made memories, fuel for the future for when we grew up and spread apart due to marriage and jobs. These memories also helped to buffer the loss of too many of our loved ones who departed this world, including my precious dad. So many of these memories warm my heart, and bring my family closer to me in spirit. I’ll share a few.
Back in the 70's we didn't have Black Friday but there were
nights when the department stores stayed open until 11 pm. I remember my
parents going out late at night to take advantage of sales and bargains. I'd
pretend to be asleep when they came home and tried to overhear their
conversations about what they bought. They were skillful, though, at hiding
presents - my father stored and wrapped them all in his woodworking workshop in
the basement.
My brothers and I would be in a frenzy of excitement for
weeks, wondering what Santa would bring us, drafting wish lists pages long,
watching the old classics Rudolf the Red
Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, and A
Charlie Brown Christmas. One year my brother Vic and I stayed up to watch
A Christmas Carol. We were scared to death! But it was so much fun.
There was always snow at Christmas, lots of snow, which was terrific
because we needed it to test drive our new sleds. And the swamp at the end of
our street kindly froze over enough so we could try out our new skates.
It seemed the holiday break from school was endless, that
week between Christmas and New Year's stretched out as if it would never end
while we played with our new games and toys and spent hours outdoors building
snow forts, snowmen, and snow angels. But
of course it did end, and we returned to school in our new jackets and boots,
distracted by thoughts of our Christmas gifts waiting for us at home.
Yes, Christmas was a wonderful, magical time, each precious
memory more special as the years go on. That's why it's important to build a mountain of memories to sustain ourselves during
difficult times or periods of separation. Sometimes our memories are all we
have.
May this Christmas be a time of joy, peace and memory making
for you and your loved ones!
To celebrate Christmas this year, I’m offering a free Kindle
copy of my novel Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story to those who join my mailing list. You can enter
here or simply leave a comment on this post.
Or you can enter the contest to win a free paperback copy of
Blue Hydrangeas on my Goodreads
giveaway. (The prize copy will wear the original cover as shown below.)
You can also take a chance to win the Jingle Book Blog Hop Grand
Prize: Two $25 Amazon Gift Cards – This giveaway is open internationally. This is a Rafflecopter giveaway!
To follow the rest of the Jingle Book Blog Hop, meet new
authors, discover new books, and win great prizes follow the map!
***
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Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's love story.
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Subscribe now and receive a free Kindle copy of
Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's love story.
Value 2.99. Rated 4.7 stars on Amazon, 127 reviews.
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