Monday Memories: Christmases

I’m beginning the month of December by sharing some of my childhood memories of Christmas.

Some of you will remember that my dad died when I was a baby, and since my two sisters were teenagers when I was born, they were grown, married and had children of their own by the time I was three.

So that left Mom and me.  Looking back, I didn’t realize, as a child, how much she did to make Christmases special for me. I’m sure she didn’t enjoy fighting with a live cedar tree, keeping it upright and watered during the season.  My sister and her family lived in an old farm house out in the country.  So my brother-in-law always cut a tree for us when he went in the nearby woods to get theirs.

It was always placed in the same spot… by a window in our living room. Mom carefully hung icicles, silver tinsel and ornaments on it.  And I’m sure I tried to help decorate it. (Not the best pic of me, but we didn’t take many photos back in those days. And, just in case you can’t tell, that’s a doll I’m holding.)

I remember doll babies and their assorted clothes and accessories.  One Christmas, Santa brought a miniature cooking set , which may be what’s in this box.

And one year there was a tricycle, which, once summer came, carried me many miles around our dirt driveway, until I upgraded to a bike.

There was always a pageant at church, usually the Sunday before Christmas. We practiced for weeks to be sure we memorized our ‘lines’ and knew where we were supposed to stand.   Homemade costumes (which usually involved bathrobes) were a given. And after our performance, we were all treated to little books of Lifesavers, an apple and an orange.

I hope my mom knew how much I enjoyed my childhood Christmases (most especially the time off from school). I’m sure they were bittersweet for her without my dad. But I like to think there were some happy times for her,too.  Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child will do that for you.

~These Days Of Mine~