|
|
Christmas then and nowDec 17 '10 Write an essay on this topic.
Popular Products in Home Furnishings
The Bottom Line Christmas memories.
Ah, Christmas time, the time of year when we can bask in the glow of goodwill, love, and peace. I have many Christmas memories and they are good ones and they provide a comfort to this day and age that I live in now. When you are a child you see things in different ways and everything is bigger than life as is Christmas. I think Christmas is a holiday that is like no other to the children of the world – fun, presents, new toys and not knowing what to play with first. It’s like a whirlwind when you are a child everything is so bright, exciting and new. I remember coming down the stairs blindfolded and led one by one to our kitchen where all of us kids had to eat breakfast first and wait for Mom and Dad to drink their first cups of coffee before we were allowed into the living room to open our presents. That seemed like eternity and now that I am older I’m quite sure it really wasn’t that long but boy it sure seemed like it then. The opening of presents and comparing what each other got from Santa was so much fun. Mom and Dad passed out the presents and there was a definite order to Christmas morning. They captured plenty of these memories on the old 8 mm film and sometimes they take those Christmas films out to look at today and it brings back all those warm memories. There were four of us back then and I was the oldest, my brother John was two years younger, my sister Theresa was five years younger, and then my little brother Mark was eleven years younger. It is so funny looking back at those wonderful Christmas’s on film, all caught in a snap shot in time. The first thing I noticed is how well our parents provided for us and made Christmas special for each and every one of us. The next thing I think about is wow that must have sent them back some in their budget. Even though my Dad was the only one who worked back then we didn’t lack for anything as seen in the footage of those years. The next thing I notice is how many people that are in those Christmas films are no longer here with us. All our Grandparents are gone as are a number of our Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins and I really miss them all as I am sure we all do. It’s very strange to not have your Grandparents in this world and I am sure it will be even stranger when my parents are no longer here to share their love and laughter. The most striking absence in every Christmas season is my little brother Mark who passed away in March of 1999, how we all miss him so. He led a very troubled life and had emotional problems and depression and despite our help and the help of many professionals life became too unbearable for him. He is the little boy with the curly locks of blond hair running around in the film, making faces and laughing and that is how he will be forever remembered in that space in time. We all looked funny, goofy, and gangly back then and don’t even get me started on what fashion we were wearing at the time! Some of us had braces and I in several of the movies have an eye patch on because of my lazy eye and I looked ridiculous. I remember I use to pretend I was a pirate because “if the patch fits, wear it” so to speak, funny and happy times indeed. Missing teeth, gaining eye glasses, crazy hairstyles, and Mom shying away from the movie camera because Dad would always try to catch her at her “best” first thing in the morning. Those are satisfying and comforting times and I do look back and it is hard to believe that the times we thought would last forever are now gone. The spirit of those Christmas’s frozen in time are with us always and I can see very clearly how I hold those memories very close to my heart. Time seems to last forever when you are a child and when you become an adult it just won’t slow down, time waits for no one. Enjoy all of the time you have with your family, love those little, happy faces and treasure those moments always for they are too soon gone. Now that I am older I appreciate Christmas for different reasons, the whole spirit of the season is much clearer to me now and I really don’t care much about gifts. I care about spending time with my family and enjoying every minute I have with them, enjoying their laughter and love is bigger than any present I could ever receive. Celebrating the birth of Jesus with my family is God’s greatest gift to me. May all of you experience the joy and spirit of this Christmas season and remember to hold God and your family close to your heart. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! God Bless, Piglet2061  |
| Read all comments (3)|Write your own comment |
