Remembering Past Christmases

Remembering Past Christmases

Until last year Christmas has always been a happy time for me, and even last year, my first without Jim, I had many memories of happiness for comfort. My mind went back to three Christmases in particular as I thought about the holidays of the past.

The first brought an image of teens, boys in white shirts and dark trousers, and girls in white blouses and dark skirts. The year was 1960 and I was among this group as we progressed, two-by-two, down the center aisle of my school auditorium. Each of us held a lighted candle in our right hand with little paper drip pans pushed up through the bottoms. All the girls wore corsages of sprigs of holly tied with a red bow, which we had helped to pin on each other. We sang the words to “O Come All Ye Faithful” as the piano accompanied us, and we glowed in the admiration of the onlookers, our parents and friends filling every seat.

At the front of the crowded auditorium, we filed into the rows of our designated seating and blew out our candles, wisps of white smoke filling the air. Then we heard the special music of soloists, and there was one I remember in particular.. She was a tiny little girl with long black curly hair, but her voice was anything but tiny. I do not remember her name. She was younger and in a lower grade than I was, but when she began to sing “Oh Holy Night”, I got goose bumps all over. She was magnificent and the entire audience was spellbound.

Today, schools might not allow either of these songs to be sung on school property, I’m not sure, but I am thankful for that special Christmas memory of my junior year in the glee club.

The second Christmas I thought of was my first with Jim as his wife. He was an Airman Second Class at Dover Air Force Base, and, of course, we were poor. I think his monthly allotment was something like $125. Credit cards were still in the future and our rented living quarters were tiny. We managed to get a small tree and a few decorations and lights from my mom. I remember sitting on the sofa in the dark, watching them blink as I waited for Jim to come home on Christmas Eve.

The only presents under the little tree were from our relatives, and we agreed presents were not important between the two of us, we were so happy just to be together. But when Jim came home, he was carrying a huge, heavy, gift-wrapped box. I couldn’t imagine what it could be, but I knew whatever it was, we had no money for it.

He wanted me to unwrap it right away and I was eager enough. There would be time for questions later. It turned out to be a portable stereo record player, and in another package there was an album of our favorite songs by Peter, Paul, and Mary. We played that album until we knew the words of every song and the order in which they would come up. Jim’s favorite, "Old Stewball" and mine, "Blowin' in the Wind", were played over and over that night and for many weeks afterwards. Nothing could have made me happier.

Even later when I found out the way the present came into being, my enthusiasm remained high. It seems Sears and Roebuck had discovered a way for everyone to spend money in their store for Christmas. It was called a revolving charge account. I won’t tell how much that stereo ended up costing. But it was worth every penny.

The third Christmas I remembered was a somewhat sad one, but has ended up being a wonderfully happy memory for many people. In the summer of 1986, Jack, Jim’s older brother, was diagnosed with colon cancer. Surgery revealed the cancer had already spread, and he was given less than a year to live. As Christmas neared, his family decided to make it a very, very special one since it might be his last. All Jack’s friends and relatives were invited to a huge Christmas party in his honor. People brought every food imaginable, games were played, the kids, and even some grownups, put on hilarious skits and went out of their comfort zones for laughter and memories.

One of Jack’s daughters took rolls of pictures and had copies made for all the relatives. I still have my set and always pull it out near Christmas time each year. Everyone looks so happy, doing their very best to make Jack’s Christmas a special one. I always get a warm feeling as I see the faces of love in those pictures.

I have many other happy Christmas memories, but these three are way up there at the top of the list, and it makes me feel good just by sharing them.