Christmastime is a very special time for me. I have always considered myself a "Christmas Child", so the holiday time is a personal time.
As I reminisce of Christmases as a little girl, there were many things that made so much of an impression on me. The holiday is not only to be celebrated religiously, but to bring to remembrance, and with love, those who are very dear to us. Christmas in my youth was a time when the family got together for some warm and loving times.
I lived in a very small town in West Virginia, where most of the family was only a few miles away, so it was nice at Christmastime, as we were able to visit with both sides of the family.
On Christmas Eve, we would get together our gifts and food and drive about 15 miles to visit with my father's side of the family. We gathered at my grandmother's house, where there was always some good ole country food. She was a master at country biscuits, country ham, and all the fixins. Of course, all who had those 8mm cameras would pan the room while everyone was acting silly and with good cheer. All the kids (cousins and cousins!) would sit around and get a laugh from the adults making faces at the camera and pinching each other, and of course, there was the ole traditional two fingers up in the back of someone's head in the picture. I still have those pictures, and some are 45 years old, being now converted to VCR tape. But, oh the wonderful memories of those past times, and the fond memories of family who now remain with us in spirit.
After a pleasant time of opening gifts, telling jokes, and catching up on all the family gossip, we would travel to my other grandmother's house. My mother's mother had a grand ole white framed house with high ceilings, where in the front living room, she always had an 8 ft. decorated real tree. I was always fascinated with that tree, for you see, as a youngster, I had never seen bubble lights on a tree. They would keep my attention for hours, just trying to figure out how they worked. There was a large heat vent in the middle of the floor, giving much warmth from the coal furnace below. That was always where everyone came in and huddled from the cold of the winter night. We would all open our gifts and have some good ole egg nog and coffee and Grandmother always had at least a homemade cake for everyone, not to mention the fruit cake of the season.
After a wonderful evening of family fun, we returned home where we got ready for Santa. Everyone went to bed with much anticipation of the following morning.
On Christmas Day, after the "Santa" time at home, we returned to my Grandmother's house for a huge Christmas dinner. Of course, all the women prepared the food in the kitchen, while the men relaxed in the living room watching parades and ballgames on the television. We then sat down to a beautiful dinner in the dining room, with Grandpa at one end of the table and Grandma at the other. The table was always magnificent, with china and Fostoria crystal, and the beautiful silver that was most times only used for holidays. I would eat myself into oblivion, but always left room for Grandma's homemade pies and coffee.
Ah yes, those were the good ole days of my youth. Well, now I have my own home. My daughter has grown and has her own family. She is about 6 hours away and we don't always get together for Christmas. My parents are usually in Florida for the winter, but I always remember the wonderful memories they have given to me.
My Grandmother is always with me at Christmastime, for you see, I now have a 7 ft. tree, and each year, I place on that tree those bubble lights that so fascinated me as a little girl. On top of my tree, there is placed a set of two white doves, taken from a graveside basket of my dear grandmother. They remain even now the highlight of my tree, for I know each year that she is still with me, and the love and memories that she gave me will be with me always. I also set my table with that beautiful silver that adorned her table for so many years. It has been passed on to me and will continue on in my family, to be given to my daughter.
So, at Christmas, we should all be so very thankful that we are alive, that we are warm, healthy, and that we have had a family life that has given us those loving memories of days gone by.
May each and every one of you have a grand Christmas, and it is my wish for you that you feel the love of the season...after all, Christmas IS a time of LOVE....
Hugs,
Jadelane
