WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS

I have just returned from the Houston, TX area where I was privileged to visit with Chris, Kelsey and Clara Margaret. What a Christmas we had ! I had almost forgotten how wonderful it is to see Santa Claus through the eyes of a little one. I guess the last time I really experienced that thrill was when Chris and Tim were little boys. Now....here I was watching it through the eyes of Chris's daughter. Where do the years go so quickly?

Talking about this reminds me of when Linda was a little one, and how much fun it was to see her when she got excited about Santa Claus coming to her house with all the special toys. Bob and I always had package opening on Christmas eve. One of us would take Linda for a ride, pretending that we needed to go to the store, or return something to a friend. When we got back to the house with Linda, Santa would already have been there. Of course, the plate of cookies was always empty. Santa was hungry when he arrived with his heavy load.

When I was a little girl I would always select some ONE thing that I hoped Santa would bring to me. There were not oodles of presents under the tree. Sometimes a relative would send some small packages, but the main thing that Santa brought was never there until Christmas morning. I was always thrilled if I got the one thing that I asked for. We always had a stocking that would be filled with oranges, nuts, apples, and perhaps some pencils or other small things.
One year I recall saying that I wanted this pretty floral house coat. I had seen it in the Sears catalog, and dreamed of wearing it. On Christmas morning I was so thrilled to find my dream housecoat waiting for me. How beautiful I thought I was when I put it on and swirled around in the room.

I don't recall that my Mom ever got anything special. Dad always gave us a little bit of money and we would shop for her. It always wound up being a pair of silk hose. She always pretended to be very excited, and as I look back, I wonder if she was disappointed because she never got anything very special from Dad. Probably finances had something to do with this, but we kids always got the one thing we dreamed of having.

This year was very special because I was able to see Chris all grown up and being a very special Daddy to his little Clara. The generations just keep going on, and changes are being made with each one. May we never forget the true meaning of Christmas. We must remember to teach our little ones about the Christ that we honor on that day. We don't want them to think that Santa is the real reason for Christmas when there is truly a wonderful meaning behind that special day.

May I wish everyone a HAPPY NEW YEAR.