Dec. 16, 2003 - 04:56 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Makes My Christmas

First was, I guess, the smell of pine in our house and the flickering of the candles on the tree, the ornaments and tinsel. Then came the presents.

Christmas began to take on more significance as I grew, little by little, but the significance did grow. Anticipation came into my mind somewhere early, counting the days and wishing.

Then came making Christmas cards in school for my folks. Discovering that making something to give was almost better than receiving anything.

Each year some new thing would occur that added something to my heart to make Christmas more of a blessing than I ever conceived.

One thing that grieved me as a boy was the fact that on Christmas day either my Mom or my Dad had to work. But that was life as I knew it then and resenting it didn't help much.

Church itself didn't help me as having to sit in a pew while a screeching, hell fire and damnation preacher finally didn't scare me into religion but away from it. My life has been sometimes in church, sometimes an agnostic until I realized my closeness to God regardless of anything else. Along in there somewhere though, away from the disliked pastor, with reading, talking to my folks and an occasional visit to a different kind of church with someone, it began to dawn on me that Christmas was the "reason for the season." Which of course enriched my life greatly.

Each year that has passed has added to the fullness and happiness of the Christmas season. Even through the depression there would be something that added to my lovely Christmas experience.

There was a time when my sock had little but a tangerine and some very small gift and Mom and Dad, had little else. But there would be a tree, decorated nicely. Sometimes a very small one, yet it helped me to get into the spirit. Home made things would show up when materials could be had. Usually something crocheted or knitted by Mom, something made of wood by my Dad or uncle. But something that showed that they cared.

Finally in the throes of becoming and adult and working a job there came a Christmas that Mom and Dad would have time off for the day together - I got called into work Christmas day the evening before, so it was as ever a Christmas day when one of us wasn't there.

I was then at the point where I could spend a bit of money for Mom and Dad for Christmas which added the thrill of giving loved ones something for Christmas.

I met the lady Heather who would later be my wife, we got married and had one Christmas together while I was still mourning the loss of my mother, we had our little tree decorated with ornaments given to us by our folks and the next year a third came into our life, a baby boy. He wasn't very old when the next Christmas came along but it seems to me that we had one of the best Christmases ever. And then over to Heather's mother's house for the big family Christmas spread, turkey and all the trimmings, including special goodies of the season.

Over the years our nuclear family grew 'til there were five children with us. There were good times and tough times but regardless, our Chistmases together were high points each year, made special by things that touched the both of us deeply, done by our kids.

I remember one year when money was tight as my wages were low I was working at a place where I could use their scrap wood and the machinery at work to make things. I managed to make a hurricane lamp to hang on the wall for Heather, a chair and table for Baby Boo and a little kidney shaped stool (which is in her daughter's room now) as well as a doll crib and blocks, for the rest of the family I made a neat bookcase which is still in our oldest son's possession. Buying the little bit of paint was about all the money I could spend. Heather made a variety of things from cloth she and her mother had and her only expense was thread. I think that was the year that Baby Boo left her bottles out for Santa Claus to give poor children.

All of our Christmases were great and became more treasured as the children grew and later one by one began to make their own lives together with a mate. One way or another we have our kids with us for part of each Christmas Day since they went out for themselves. Except for our daughter in Eugene -- one year we go there and the next stay in Denver. The year we go there we have a big Christmas party here in Denver. We gather in love and speak of times gone past while we partake of Christmas food. Hugs are a big part of our gathering.

Then came grandchildren making our Christmases even more wonderful. Then they grew up and great grandchildren made the scene, so we don't have to rewind and repeat but watch our family enlarge and enjoy all our Christmases. All of the foregoing added to my life, little by little is what Makes My Christmas . . . . . . . .

Blog