Christmas Memories



I never can figure out whether I am happy or sad at Christmas time.. On the Happy side, our Christmases were magic, growing up. The buying of the Tree was done, always, by Papa. He would come home on the day before Christmas with a True Christmas Tree tied to the top of the car. I say "True" as opposed to those long needled, thick branched things which have no room to hang ornaments with the proper dangle. The icicles all bunch up in those long needles and have no artistic drape to them at all...We got Fir trees for Christmas...the kind that really smelled good and had long, spacious branches where you could actually see EVERY ornament and you could accomplish the daunting task of placing each icicle, one at a time at the correct drape!!! 

We'd be so keyed up inside ourselves and trying so hard on the outside to be good. That tree would drive us bananas..We wanted to water it, we wanted to touch it, we tried to imagine lights and pretty ornaments on it . We tried to figure out how Santa decorated all those trees and brought all those presents to all the little girls and boys all in ONE night!!! I personally believed in Santa Claus with all my heart til I was 8 years old.. Every year, we'd go to bed at our 7:30 PM bedtime and try to fall right to sleep so we could wake up in the morning to the Magic.  Santa decorated the tree, turned on the lights,  and piled a ton of presents under it , without fail., every year...
I always see it in my minds eye...the tree shimmered and twinkled with multicolored lights backed by reflectors (does anyone use reflectors anymore??) The icicles hung gracefully, placed carefully , not thrown, all over the tree and the most beautiful glass ornaments hung all over the tree. I never even noticed that they were always the same!!!! Papa was always asleep on the couch and we had to wake him up to show him that Santa had really come...

On the sad side..I miss US...We were always a tight little group ...We entertained one another, we made up games, we played all day long , we fought like little indians, we drove our Mother bananas, and we always tried to come up with ways to  get back in the house!!!!  We are still a tight little group..agonizing over each others' heartaches, celebrating each others' victories, rejoicing in each others' children, sharing all our hopes and fears. Screw with one of us and the wrath of all decends on your head!!! Be good to one of us, and the whole pack makes you a peripheral family member!!!
I love my Christmas Memories and I miss all my sisters and Brothers ...most of all at this time of year.