Christmas Memories -- Unfinished

This morning, someone asked, "what are some of your fondest memories about Christmas?" I responded, but after some thought, I wrote the following as a prolog to my response just for me.

Childhood memories
Wow, did that set my brain off --
Watching mother make those Homemade fruitcakes
Nat King Cole -- The Christmas Song
Participating in Christmas plays at school and at church
Going around the neighborhood knocking on doors and screaming "Christmas Treat, and hearing Give it here!"
The fire on the open fireplace and opening presents
Uncle Randolph playing Santa Clause, and he did not wear a red and white suit

Adult memories before mother died.
.Christmas in Oklahoma on top of the mountain listening to music and seeing Richard Pryor for the first time at the beginning of his career -- pregnant and happy
Mother sending William and me Christmas because we could not afford to buy anything for Christmas
Our first big Christmas in our new home in the basement on 29th Street, and the tree loaded with gifts.
Every Christmas, from 1971 until her death, mother being my prep chef for Christmas dinners, Nat King Cole bringing in Christmas, and the children (Shell, Lee, Niekie, Kandi, and anyone else I had taken in) opening presents on Christmas morning -- nothing like it in the world!
Christmas day with Christmas dinner and folks dropping in from all over the area to share in the fun!

Christmases after my mother's death are a blur -- went through most of the above without enthusiasm and joy. The children grew up, got married, left home, and moved away, and Christmas became a commercial that started before Thanksgiving and abruptly ended in January with the white sales!
This year, I plan to avoid Christmas altogether by going to the beach, on a train ride, or writing.

I am not unhappy, and I am not against Christmas celebrations, just not into the new commercialized Christmas that has wholly become a time for serious spending whether you can afford it or not.
Call me old-fashion, but those Christmases when I was blessed to get only one toy for Christmas, great food, and time with family and friends were the best ever! I strongly believe that some of the old ways -- values, responsibilities, gratefulness, and many more adjective made the world a good place.

How much are you spending on Christmas this year?