Christmas 2011
Christmas is such a special time for so many reasons, but most of all for remembering!
As a child, I loved all the holidays because of the hustle and bustle of seeing mom preparing food and decorating the house. (Mom was great at decorating for the holidays!!) I loved going to all the special events, which were plentiful when you were a "PK" (preacher's kid). We used to always go to Purdue's Christmas Show which was a highlight of the season. Usually, while in grade school, I was in some sort of Christmas program, and oh how I loved the excitement of getting ready for the special evening. One of my fondest memories was singing "The Twelve Days of Christmas" where I got the part of singing "Five Golden Rings" along with the rest of my class. I also remember a special red and white dress with a little Christmas bell attached that my mother and dad gave to me right before the program. I felt like a princess and will always remember that feeling.
Another special memory was walking with my mother to the church where she would get the Christmas wreaths for the front church doors. She would carefully hang the wreaths and fluff up the bow and step back to look at each one, making any adjustment to make them just right. This was a special tradition and something that she loved doing each Christmas while dad was the pastor of the church. Another special memory was listening to the choir practice along with my dad as they prepared for the church Christmas Cantata. Dad had such a beautiful tenor voice. I really have missed hearing his voice! The beautiful Christmas music along with the memory of my Dad as he directed the choir and sang are such wonderful memories and I feel so blessed to have been a child to remember such special times!
I have found over the years how "traditional" I truly am, because as everyone is looking for new ways to celebrate, I am holding on to memories of the traditional holiday of my youth. I think that is why I started playing traditional Christmas music at the end of Thanksgiving! I think our childhood memories are the most precious and these memories stay with us forever. It is not that we think new ways of thinking are not good, it is just that when you are a child, those memories are your fondest! I guess that is why we hold onto those memories because we feel the warmth and wonder of being a child again. There was such an innocence and a belief that everything was wonderful!! I think we need to search back into our childhood memories and hold onto those warm feelings!!
This Christmas I want to remember those special memories I had as a child. I want to remember how special Christmas was because of the gift of a small child who was born to an uncertain world. Being given the greatest Christmas gift of all, being raised as a Christian, feeling hope when there is no hope, and believing that we always have someone to turn to in the hardest of times, is truly the best part of Christmas. We just have to remember and not forget the innocence of our childhood beliefs and think how easy it was to accept the miracle of Christ's love!! Today, I will remember as a child and I will not forget this miracle of hope. I will remember why Christmas is so special! It is not the things that make Christmas special, it is the memory and belief, the joy of a child's heart, the warmth of feeling peace and hope that make Christmas special! I thank God for my Christian Christmas memories!!
