It’s Christmas time. So let's share a story

It was five years ago when I received a gift that brought a tear too my eyes. The year was 2002, and as in the recent past; Christmas was proving to be another challenge do too financial constraints. I live with my two adult children, my wife of ten years and a grandson. We have all learned from the challenges and turmoil that life has presented to us all in the recent years.

             At Christmas as far as gifts go, we turn all of our efforts too the child in the house, as it should be a very special time in a little boy’s life. We try and get him the things he needs, and some of the things he wants. It has been several years since the adults in our house have been able to exchange gifts to one another. We all take great joy in counting the blessing that come our way, and some how we always seem to pull the things that matter in life together.

In 2002 my grandson had only two years experience in his life. As customary we all gathered around the tree to watch my grandson open his gifts, as we drank our coffee and tried to wake up, Little boy’s sure wake up early on Christmas. I was sitting on the floor as his daddy was passing him his gifts. The joy in his eyes and the excitement was all I needed for my Christmas. To watch a child open their gifts is a special moment for me.

As he was looking at his new toys with the excitement only a child can show; he stopped what he was doing and looked up at me for a brief moment. His attention went back to the gifts setting in front of him, he picked up an unopened gift looked at me, and said Pa Pa this one is for you. To try and describe the feelings I had at the time would take a whole other blog. I wondered, out of all the people in the room why he picked me, and why not his daddy. I was the only one he offered a gift too. It wouldn’t matter what the gift was, it was the best Christmas gift I had ever gotten in my whole life. As I opened his gift he looked at me with the same excitement as I had been watching him with. My gift sets on my dresser to this day; it is a little yellow school bus. The gift that put a tear in my eyes.   

Baxley do you have a Chritmas story to tell, Or anyone else.

A Christmas Tear

It was five years ago when I received a gift that brought a tear too my eyes. The year was 2002, and as in the recent past; Christmas was proving to be another challenge do too financial constraints. I live with my two adult children, my wife of ten years and a grandson. We have all learned from the challenges and turmoil that life has presented to us all in the recent years.

             At Christmas as far as gifts go, we turn all of our efforts too the child in the house, as it should be a very special time in a little boy’s life. We try and get him the things he needs, and some of the things he wants. It has been several years since the adults in our house have been able to exchange gifts to one another. We all take great joy in counting the blessing that come our way, and some how we always seem to pull the things that matter in life together.

In 2002 my grandson had only two years experience in his life. As customary we all gathered around the tree to watch my grandson open his gifts, as we drank our coffee and tried to wake up, Little boy’s sure wake up early on Christmas. I was sitting on the floor as his daddy was passing him his gifts. The joy in his eyes and the excitement was all I needed for my Christmas. To watch a child open their gifts is a special moment for me.

As he was looking at his new toys with the excitement only a child can show; he stopped what he was doing and looked up at me for a brief moment. His attention went back to the gifts setting in front of him, he picked up an unopened gift looked at me, and said Pa Pa this one is for you. To try and describe the feelings I had at the time would take a whole other blog. I wondered, out of all the people in the room why he picked me, and why not his daddy. I was the only one he offered a gift too. It wouldn’t matter what the gift was, it was the best Christmas gift I had ever gotten in my whole life. As I opened his gift he looked at me with the same excitement as I had been watching him with. My gift sets on my dresser to this day; it is a little yellow school bus. The gift that put a tear in my eyes.   

Winn - beautiful story.  Thanks for sharing.

My grandfather used to watch us grandkids and eventually great grandkids, open our presents every Christmas with his face awash with tears.  No one ever made fun of him and he didn't even try to hide it much, but we all knew it was going to happen and we'd kind of 'elbow' each other when it started which was almost immediately upon the opening of the first gift.  One year my cousin (we were adults by that time), took his picture and we all yelled at her for being so insensitive.  Gramp always tried to come across as "gruff" during the rest of the year, but Christmas always gave him away. 

If you want to have another tear, read Susie Armstrong's story in today's Fleming Island Messenger about Saving Larae. 

Merry Christmas to all.

The year was 1997, and Christmas Eve.  I had the flu, high fever, and unable to join in the gaity coming from the living room.  There was one person, though, who was determined I wouldn't miss a thing; my developmentally challenged, sweet brother.

Every few minutes, it seemed, he'd rush into my room either bringing me a gift or showing me what he had received.  His excitement was palpable; each time a bigger smile than the one before.   His childlike personna had always made Christmas even more special, if that is possible.  My brother passed away the following August at the age of 55, yet still I can see his smile, and feel his presence with each ornament I place on the tree.

There is nothing more exciting than Christmas through the eyes of a child.

God bless, and Merry Christmas.

Recalling favorite memories from Christmas past they are collectively all centered around my Paternal Grandparents.  My Daddy is the oldest of six kids, they all married and had anywhere from 3 to 5 kids of their own which added up to 22 first cousins.  Grandma & Grandpa lived in a very small house after their kids were all grown and gone, I doubt it was much over 1200sf.  Imagine the cold of winter in Missouri and 36 people inside of a house that small.  Card tables were put up wherever there was floor space for it just so everyone could sit when they ate.  I can remember all the women so packed into the kitchen that for one to move caused a chain reaction of them all.  Grandma didn't like dirty floors or scuff marks on the linoleum so out of terry cloth and some elastic she made 22 pairs of slippers that all us grandkids had to wear in the house rather then shoes, imagine what a pile of 22 pairs of shoes looked like in a house that small, the beds were so piled up with winter coats you couldn't see it.

That sort of cramped space would drive me crazy now, I am a bit claustrophobic but it didn't bother me back then, and holidays at my Grandparents home are my best Christmas memories.  Grandma and Grandpa always gave each child, and each adult a Christmas present, sometimes the boys would get a pair of socks, and the girls would get a hankie, or a spiral notebook, whatever they selected that year the boys would get one thing and the girls would get something else.  Even the adults were treated this way, a one gift fits all Christmas.  My Mother and my Aunts most often got something my Grandma had made, she crocheted alot and used Artex paints and would decorate plain white pillowcases.

When I became an adult I began receiving these handmade treasures that Grandma would work on all year long.  I have carried these around with me all my life caring for them like they're made of gold and they are some of my most prized possessions.

Whenever I think of those Christmas memories in that tiny little houses it reminds me of a country song popular way back in the 80's.  "Love grows best in little houses", the feelings of belonging and being loved and secure were never stronger then those memories I carry of those times.

 Sunflower, Memaw, and Marsha

Sunflower my grandpa was the same way he tried to portray him self as a gruff, but he wasn’t very good at it. You could see right through his attempt too do so, especially at Christmas.

  Memaw I too looked into the eyes of my daughter, as you have your brother. And you are so right; they do carry a child like excitement of Christmas into their adult life.  She gets so excited at Christmas you can’t help but too join in.      

Marsha I had a very large family with many cousins myself.  The difference was my grand parents lived on a farm and the house was pretty big, but it sure did fill up at Christmas time. My grandma and her five daughters would start baking and making candy, and anything else you can think of right after thanksgiving. My grandma made the best peanut brittle in the world, all of her daughters specialized in making or baking something. My mom was the best her specialty was Chocolate candies. Marsha the gifts that were given too you are gold, they were meant to be. They were made with the love from your grandmother’s hands. 

 It seems that we all have special memories of Christmas past, but we all have one thing in common. We all got the same gift, and that gift was love. I want to thank the three of you for sharing your special Christmas memories. I just wish more of the blogers, And MCS staff would have shared their own Christmas stories. Oh well maybe next year. 

 I would like too wish all of you guys a very merry Christmas, and may all of  those special Christmas memories be carried on too the generations to come.