2022 - Day 8 Entry

The Greatest Gift of All by Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers

Christmas

1984. Wow, in some ways that seems a lifetime ago... and in other ways it was just yesterday. I was 6 years old and for me, Kenny Rogers was Santa and Dolly Parton was Mrs. Claus. My mom recorded this special when it was on t.v. and I would beg her to play it over and over. Poor mom! I mean, I still love these songs and I have the CD of it that I play this time of year, but it's definitely not for everyone, I know. For me, it was more than just the singing, it was how nice they were with one another and the sets they used for the show. All of it went together to make this magical place that, as a kid, I felt transported to while watching it.
This is the last song in the special and it is still my favorite. Holidays at my house usually meant that my mom and dad would have a fight (each side of the family was insistent on where we went and when, vying for time and causing heartache about it), but they always made up and everything ended up ok. For that time though, when they were bickering, this is what I remembered - a happy couple saying that the greatest gift of all was them being in love with one another.