Most Memorable Christmas Past

I've been thinking a lot, after all we've been privileged to experience this year -- building industry shutting down, the joy of surviving unemployment, the excitment of changing from one booming industry (building industry) to another (now we're in the banking industry) -- that this Christmas just may be the perfect opportunity to try to pull off a repeat of my absolute most favorite Christmas ever. It would truly be a Christmas to Remember if we could make it happen a second time...

Just in case anyone else might like to try it, I think I'll share......

It was the Christmas that came along the year that our dear Dad had taken a major change of direction in life and followed his dream to go back to graduate school and work on his master's degree. (he now has Ed.D. -- yea dad!) Older sis, Sheena, and I had completed two years of college and decided to take a year off, help dad through, save up some money, go back in a year... (yes, we both did!) Little sis, Lori, was in early teens and had a hard time adjusting to leaving her friends in Ohio and being stuck at the beach in Virginia. Big brother was in Germany in the Air Force. (Were you home for this Christmas, Brian? I think I remember you being there, but others tell me you weren't...?)

The five of us were living in a two bedroom apartment and living the life of a college student... We three girls shared one bedroom. We knew that money was scarce. Mom was working, Dad was working and going to school, Sheena and I were both working two jobs?, and little sis was trying to adjust... I didn't realize until years later how hard that was for her.

We decided that Little Lori deserved the best Christmas ever and the rest of us could do without gifts. We were very happy with our plan. She'd been wanting a pet bird ever so badly. So, we went to the pet store and spent all the Christmas money on a parakeet, cage, bird food, and all. We kept it hidden until Christmas morning, although I do not know how we managed that in that tiny apartment we all shared!!

On Christmas Eve, parents were in bed, Little Lori was asleep. Sheena and I were still awake. We were quite happy with our Christmas purchase. We truly wanted to see Lori delighted with her gift. However, as we looked the very empty space underneath the tree, we were suddenly struck with a very excellent idea.

"Why don't we start just wrapping stuff and sticking it under the tree?" we thought. It would be so fun to have gifts overflowing from under the tree! We quickly pounced on the idea, and the great idea of course grew very quickly, as ideas have a way of doing.

We began in the kitchen, looking for great gift ideas....... as we weren't loaded with wrapping paper (birds are hard to wrap) we used newspaper and paper bags and anything we could find to use for wrapping paper and we began. We wrapped potatoes (individually so there'd be more to open), onions, apples, canned goods, pots and pans, ketchup and mustard, bowls and cups, anything non-perishable that we could find.

Then we went to the bathroom and began wrapping toothpaste and soap, shampoo and razors, lotions and potions... Anything wrappable was wrapped.

By this time we were having the most grand time of our lives. We laughed and laughed and laughed some more, but, had to do so in the most quietest manner so as not to awake all the sleepers in the tiny apartment and spoil the surprise.

We thought we were so clever! We did not stop wrapping......... shirts and pants, socks and shoes... every thing in the house was wrapped and the tree was overflowing with gifts.

We were probably up all night wrapping. We could hardly wait to see the astonishment on our parents faces and on Lori's face when they woke up Christmas morning with tons and tons of presents under the tree.

Christmas morning finally arrived. We were rewarded. All three were astonished. And shocked. And filled with wonder!

We, of course, had to read the Christmas story from the Bible before opening gifts. This was our revered tradition. Sometimes from Luke, sometimes from Dad's favorite, John 1. Often both.

Once that was done, gift giving began. We handed out the potatoes, the can openers, the pots and pans, the mustard, the toothpaste, lotions and shampoos, clothes that were already worn and quite familiar looking, shoes, gloves, ... all were unwrapped one by one and we laughed and laughed and laughed over each and every gift. We all laughed until we cried. We unwrapped more presents than we'd ever unwrapped at any other Christmas. We laughed more, had more fun and had skipped all the stress of shopping. It was great. It was perfect. It was the most fun thing we ever did at Christmas.

The laughter is what I remember the most. That and appreciation for all the many things of value we had in that home to wrap up and be grateful for. Mostly, I'm grateful for that memory. It alone is a priceless gift.

I hope that I can create such laughter in my own home this year at Christmas... because if ever there wasn't gift money...... it is definitely this year. But if ever a family had loads to be grateful for, it is mine. And if ever a person knew how to laugh... I hope it would be me!!!! :)