More importantly, though, was the time spent with my
mom. In their early years, we would join
other family members at Grandma’s home for Christmas dinner. As she aged, our traditions changed. She had been widowed for many years and we
didn’t like the thought of her waking up alone on Christmas morning.
On the afternoon of December 24th, we would drive
the 20 minutes to her house and pick her up.
She was perfectly capable of driving herself, but this was an extra
touch of care that we wanted to provide.
Our evening held a familiar comfort for all of us. We would have an early dinner and then attend
a candle light Christmas Eve service at our local church. With the strains of Silent Night still in our
hearts, we headed out for our next adventure.
Armed with the local newspaper’s list of the best light displays, we drove
around the city enjoying the elaborate displays in people’s yards. The best ones always had the manger
scene. Then it was home for hot chocolate
and cookies.
My son would give up his room for Grandma and sleep on the
floor of his sister’s room. Together
they would wake up early and sneak out with flashlight in hand, to look through
their Christmas stockings. They vividly
recall the time they heard Grandma’s voice behind them and thought they were
going to get into trouble. Instead, she
asked for the flashlight and went through the contents of her Christmas
stocking! This was a secret the three of
them shared for many years.
My mother has been spending Christmas with Jesus for fifteen
years now. We still talk about the fun
we had with her sleepovers and her childlike enthusiasm. The gift we gave her was the freedom to relax
and have fun as she had no other responsibilities. The gift she gave us is the countless
precious memories that we recall.
Southern Gospel singer Guy Penrod sings a song with the
following line: “I miss you most at Christmas, you were like a little
child.” It took many years before I
could listen to the song without tears.
I thought I could do it now, but I am shedding a few tears just thinking
about it.
The true blessings of Christmas are not the physical gifts
we receive. My children have no memories
of special gifts. Our fondest family
memories are the love, laughter and time spent together.
My husband and I have been invited to our daughter’s house
for a sleepover on Christmas Eve. I
think I’ll find a board game and jigsaw puzzle to take along with us.
Merry Christmas.
blog: www.timewithtandy.com
website: www.tandyb.com
Hmm.... I just read another post by someone talking about what it's like to be alone at Christmas, and for her, it was very awkward to be invited to the home of others. It wasn't like that for your Mom at your place, and I see the clue in your sentence: "We still talk about the fun we had with her sleepovers and her childlike enthusiasm."
ReplyDeleteYour Mom's attitude was what made the difference. I need to keep this in mind should it ever become a reality in my life. Thanks for the lovely sharing, Tandy.
This is lovely, Tandy. Making happy family memories is an important part of what Christmas is all about. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteWe play a lot of board games at Christmas time - very competitive too!
ReplyDeleteThanks for another reminder, Tandy, of the role of grandparents and their impact on the children.
ReplyDeleteYou, with us, have the opportunity to reprise that role ourselves.
What a privilege!
Thanks for this post, Tandy. I agree that the best Christmas memories don't have anything to do with presents but with time spent with people, especially those closest to us.
ReplyDelete