Christmas memories...

Well, Christmas has come and gone once again. This year was nice, but my heart just wasn't in it. Our daughter-in-law Kailey came over and brought Michael with her. It was nice to watch him open his presents, and it reminded me of earlier times when the boys were young. I can remember our first Christmas in Tennessee. The boys were one and three years old. I had just left my ex-husband 6 months before. We were very poor and lived in the projects in Huntingdon, Tn. I had a minimum wage job that payed $4.25 per hour and my check was usually gone after paying daycare, a bill or two, and a few groceries. I didn't have any money for Christmas that year, so I put their names on the angel tree that the Dept. of Human Services sponsored each year. Two days before Christmas the gifts were delivered to our apartment. I quickly hid them away so the boys wouldn't see them. I wondered though, what to do about them? I didn't have a Christmas tree to put them under, so I thought I might pile them up by the door and tell the boys that Santa left them on the porch because we didn't have a chimney (ha!). It was Christmas eve and I had just put the boys to bed when I heard a knock at the door. I opened the door to find a live Christmas tree laying on my front porch and a big cardboard box next to it. I managed to drag the tree into the house. Next came the box. It was filled with everything needed to trim that tree......and I was so grateful for it, I cried as I put it up. The next morning the boys were shocked! They couldn't believe Santa brought them presents AND a Christmas tree! They danced gleefully around it, anxious to open their gifts. There was no disappointment in their eyes that morning as they opened their gifts......they were happy with each and everything they received, no matter how small. By the end of the day they were worn out, and Robert had fallen asleep next to the Christmas tree.
Michael didn't quite fall asleep on us, but he was worn out by the end of the day. I hope he enjoyed it as much as I did.

Christmas is Coming!

Well, Christmas is coming...and very quickly too! This year we will set up the Christmas tree, light it up with all the pretty lights and decorations, then think of all the families out there who will have no Christmas this year. The economy has hit all of us very hard, so maybe it's time we started giving of ourselves and the gifts we each possess rather than material things. Our tree may not be filled with lots of prettily wrapped presents this year, but we will still have many gifts, the gift of love being the most important one.