Every Christmas, I try to give a gift to my boys and grandchildren that will bring back special memories of me after I’m gone. The negative side of this is that it’s often something they don’t need or don’t want. That would in turn become a memory they wouldn’t want to live twice.
Besides, when we get together, my boys always share memories they have of me. I’ve told them time and time again they had to be wrong. It just didn’t sound like something I would do. That would bring on a chorus of laughter, because the stuff they told could not have been made up.
I always end up giving them money. They can add that to money they will get from someone else and buy a hamburger. Hey, don’t laugh! Hamburgers are expensive! Besides, we all know it’s the thought that counts, right?
There have been times I wish more thought would have gone into some Christmas presents. Take for instance the gifts that require batteries. I can never think to buy batteries. Even then, it can be considered a positive. If it turns out to be a collectible, I will have more money in mine.
After all, it will still be in the box it came in.
When I take my artificial tree from its box, my mind always goes back to my childhood, when we got our tree. We would load up in the old Chevrolet pick-up truck. My mother, daddy, brother and our family dog (Trixie) would head toward the woods to pick out a Christmas tree.
We’d find the perfect tree, so Daddy would cut it down, load it up, and off we’d go, heading back home. Well, guess what? It would never fit in the door, or, if it did, it would be too tall. They just never looked that big in the woods. So, the bottom would be cut two or three times, and then it always seemed to look more bare. Then Mother would come to the rescue and find the prettiest side, and the barest side would face the wall.
More times than not, it would then have to be attached to the wall by a nail and string. Mission accomplished.
As I got older, I’d notice my brother’s and my friends’ trees and realize I had never seen such a beautiful tree with all the different variety of lights and the prettiest ornaments. I didn’t know such beauty existed until that moment.
The crazy thing about all this was I still felt my tree was “right” for me.
I can’t say I miss the tree tied to the wall. I don’t miss having to keep the tree watered and the shedding of pine needles all through the Christmas holiday.
I even have prettier ornaments now. Most of them were made in school. My oldest son is now 40 years old, and I’m still putting his homemade ornaments on the tree. My youngest son has his, and I’ve even got a few my grandkids have contributed.
My brothers and friends still have trees much prettier, and I’m proud they buy what they enjoy. But, for my house, all I can say is, it’s perfect!
As I close this article, I would like to thank you for the compliments. I hope to continue sharing my thoughts with you in 2018. I hope you have a Christmas full of laughter, kindness and lots of love. Remember to hug the ones you care about and respect and love the ones who matter most to you!
Merry Christmas!
