Christmas Memories

This time of year always makes me nostalgic.  Not only about past Christmases, but about people who are no longer with us.  It's not that I'm not looking forward to this Christmas, but a part of me misses what was.  Maybe it's that part of me that remembers how much love and laughter and how, especially at Christmas, we all put aside any feelings of dislike and just enjoyed being with each other, quirks and all.  The feeling of family, of being safe and loved and yes, even a little spoiled with all the presents.

But now that I'm older, I wish not for the presents, but just for the time we spent together.  Going to grandma and grandpa's and all cramming into the living room while grandma read the Christmas story out of Luke and then singing carols as a family with Aunt Esther playing the piano.  Then Uncle John singing "O Holy Night" while we all listened with anticipation for him to hit the high note.  Listening to grandma laugh about some joke present that, more often than not involved underware.  Waiting to see who would be the lucky one that would get the gift that grandpa made in his wood workshop.  And the food!  If you haven't been fortunate enough yet to try to get 35-45 people around a couple of tables and all the delicious food that entails, I encourage you to do that, at lest once before you die.  Put it on your bucket list!  It's a lot of work, cooking, cleaning, baking, cleaning, basting, cleaning, but so worth it in the end. All the "mmm's"' the "this is so good's", and the I'm so full I can't eat another bite's", only to watch as they go back again in abut 30 minutes to nibble at the dessert that they didn't have room for.

Those times are so special, and yet, too often we get so caught up in the busyness of trying to make things perfect that we forget to actually cherish the moment. Then we hit 40 something and realize that  those precious times are now only irreplaceable memories.  Our loved ones are celebrating Jesus' birthday with him, while we try to replicate our memories so that our children will some day look back and miss the simplicity of their childhood Christmases.

My mom loved Christmas.  She loved the giving more than receiving.  Loved baking and eating special Christmas cookies and candies.  Being able to lavish us with food and  gifts, but mostly love; love from her, but especially love for Jesus.  I will never have that again, but I can make sure to pass that love on to future generations so that even when I'm gone, memories of her will not be forgotten.