Christmases Past

Well, it seems I have been away for quite sometime. It is not that I have had nothing to write. It is that so much of it is at a level of complexity that I really need a good chunk of time and I just don't seem to have that recently. It seems more and more memories from when I was a kid are coming back. They swirl in to my consciousness at very random moments. Memories that had been sitting in the file drawer that is my brain, in some cases for decades.

The most recent memory came to me while in the car with the girls talking about Christmas. During my childhood my family was poor. I don't remember Christmas being a miserable time though. I loved to decorate, I loved the lights, and honestly that is still my favorite part of the holiday. There is one Christmas that I cannot believe I had forgotten about.

Christmas morning was long gone. I don't remember what I got or my exact age. I think I was around 7. I remember playing on the floor in the living room with my sister when there was a knock at the door. We opened the door and there stood Santa. Dressed in all his holiday regalia with a big red bag. Santa came in to our house and proceeded to pull gifts out of his bag for us. I do not remember what was in any of them. When Santa was done unloading his bag he asked us to give him a moment and went outside. He came back in with a small table and chair set. This is what I remember most. My sister and I played with that table until it literally fell apart from overuse.

As an adult, I look back and remember all the times presents were left on our doorstep on Christmas Eve. One year, a box was left on our doorstep that contained a git for each of us. I vividly recall a gorgeous watch that was left for my mom. It was made out of cloisonne in a deep burgundy and inlaid with little flowers. You had to lift a little cover to see the time on the watch. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Recalling these Christmases past makes me feel really happy inside. It humbles me and pushes me to find my own way to share my good fortune with my fellow beings.