December 1 brings memories

Well, December is here....I guess I am in a pensive mood lately because I have been remembering Christmas's past. I believed in Santa Claus and it didn't hurt me a bit....I loved believing in Santa. I would look for him in the night sky on Christmas Eve and we would turn on the radio which would give "Santa" reports. We always went to bed early but it was SO hard to sleep. Before going to bed, we got to open one present, usually pajamas and dad would read the Christmas story. We would leave the cookies and milk out and head upstairs.

I was usually sleeping in my brother's room because Ohio winters are cold and we were trying to save money. Sometimes, the three of us would be up in their room...it was bigger or we would all three sleep downstairs in the family room and shut off the upstairs. But the three of us would be in the same room.

I always heard rustling...which, of course, was mom and dad wrapping presents. So dad would check on us and I would ask what the noise was and he would say he heard noises on the roof. I should be quiet and try to sleep and maybe I would hear it, too. So I would lay quietly and I DID hear something...every time!! I found out later that one year, dad threw pebbles on the roof so we would think we heard the reindeer.

Steve, Tom and I would wake up early and go downstairs and ask if we could get up. Some years, they told us to go back to sleep...I am sure those were the 3 am or 4 am years but sometimes we would all get up. We would open the gifts though it was still dark outside..and we had so much fun. Every year, just as we were finished opening gifts...sometimes BEFORE we were done, mammal would call and ask if we were finished so she could come over. Then, it would sorta irk me but now, I know she was lonely and just wanted to join family as soon as possible.

Then she would come over and she and mom would start cooking. While they did this, I always called my next door neighbor and best friend, Sheri, and we would tell what each other got for Christmas....we did this for YEARS and a few years ago, I called from Virginia, got her on the phone and said, "What you get?" That afternoon, my aunt and uncle and cousins would come over....we would eat the usual Christmas dinner and then gather in the living room near the fire. We had all exchanged names and the tradition is...starting from youngest to oldest, you would guess who had your name. You couldn't open your gift unless you guessed who had you. Sometimes this would take awhile but it was a lot of fun. The kids would play in the basement (now MY kids do the same) and the adults would talk. When evening came, we headed over to Aunt Carol's house. Grandma would be there and cousins. We would tell everything we got and then we would eat again...although we were still full...aunt Carol always insisted. We would play with the cousins and then go home.

GREAT MEMORIES....here is a song that our choir sang in high school that I sing to myself every year and I love it....it reminds me of the days I just wrote about.

Simple holidays joys...boys and girls, smiling faces.
Toys beneath the Christmas tree and a wreath on the door
Star of gold, ribbons blue and a few fond embraces
How I miss those simple holiday joys I once knew.

To be young...to believe, to wake up on Christmas eve
Through the night, with delight, oh the spell it could weave

To be young with surprise, to be not quite so wise
Watching snow, never knowing how quickly time flies
Did the years pass me by? Where the sky full of reindeer? Where are they?
In my mind, the joys grow dim, how unkind that they do...
Though they shine like a gem, only memories remain...dear.
But I find those simple holiday joys in YOU!!