Good Witches have childhood memories too!
The rest of the evening we enjoyed listening to Christmas carols. I must have played the songs from every old artist that night. It was wonderful reminiscing about the special moments over the years. Mom recited her famous stories from when she was a little girl. Her eyes still held a glimmer of wonder behind the creases and tiny lines. She ended the evening with her tale of her Christmas morning when she was a tot.
We gathered around the fireplace with mother sitting in the center.
“My mom and dad were snuggling under the covers. I stuck my hand inside the stocking that was hanging on the side of my crib,” she said. “I was at least four or five years old. In those days we slept in one big room. My parents couldn’t afford a house with lots of bedrooms," she admitted. "I was so excited to find out what Santa left me. When I stuck my hand inside the stocking, I pulled out an awful chicken foot.”
Mom’s face displayed the pure expression of a sweet child of five. She was reciting an event that stayed in her memory for over seventy-five years. Mother continued with the story while we gave her our undivided attention.
“Way on the bottom was a lump of coal. I could feel my heart break, as I realized I must have been a bad girl that year,” she confessed, with a tear in her eye. “My parents continued hiding under the covers, whispering and giggling the whole time I cried.
“Ah, that’s terrible,” I said, shaking my head.
“They played an awful trick on me,” she proclaimed, lowering her brows. “Finally, Mom took me in her arms and gave me the gifts from under the bed. They surprised me with a coloring book and crayons, with nuts and candies,” she said, holding her hand up to her mouth.
She laughed along with us, looking a bit sleepy. Slowly rubbing her eyes, mother gave a soft sigh. The night came to a perfect end. I smiled, feeling a renewed appreciation for the holidays.
“Goodnight everyone. Have a Merry Christmas,” she said, as she threw a kiss through the air.
Mark and Desiree helped tuck Grandma in that night. It was truly a memorable evening.
There was something extraordinary about that night. It remains in my heart and I will forever treasure the night we all slept under one roof, awaiting the day Christ was born. Family memories are part of what makes Christmas so special. New Year’s Eve we spent watching television and making a list of promises for the year to come.
2 comments:
Thank you for sharing this memory Kathleen. It reminds me of my childhood. We had a small house--two bedrooms--and being the only girl I slept in the living room on the sofa. Mom took a photo of me waking up in my 'bed' gazing at the Christmas tree.
Your welcome, Leanne. I slept on the living room on the sofa when I was a young girl, too.
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