A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…I was a little boy at Christmas time. I believed in Santa Clause. I waited with rapt excitement for The Charlie Brown Christmas Special, The Grinch That Stole Christmas, and even The Star Wars Holiday Special of November 1978. Mom had the tree put up and decorated, Dad had the Christmas lights stapled to the house, and the chill outside, though devoid of snow usually, since I grew up in Arkansas, set the mood for the wonder that was Christmas.
Even though I believed in Santa for a good bit, I knew that Mom usually hid wrapped presents prior to Christmas. I kept a keen eye out for these hidden wonders and wasn’t above trying to poke a hole in one to try and see what it could be. I don’t recall being successful, but I also don’t recall being called out on it. I was a regular chubby little Ninja.
If we were lucky enough to see some snow around Christmas, rare but possible, Mom would make snow cream. If you’ve never had “snow cream”, you’ve missed out on one of Winter’s Joys. Especially when my Mom made it. She had us go outside and collect some snow, usually from atop the family car hood. We could reach it easily and see that none of the neighbor’s cats had tracked across it. Nobody likes sprinkles in their snow cream. I know it was just milk, sugar and snow (vanilla extract too, maybe?) but to a kid it was magical.
It may sound crazy, but I only remember a choice few toys that I got when I was little. A couple of favorites were a plastic army men set that seemed to have hundreds of pieces. My brother, Joe, and I had many a battle with those poor war-ravaged guys. Another was a Sir Stuart the Silver Knight action figure, complete with his horse Valor. I remember playing with that guy in the back seat of our car when we moved to Georgia. He eventually had many battles with GI Joe (with the kung fu grip), usually losing. Most other toys seem to escape my memory.
The reason that all those other toys don’t stay in my recollection, although there were many other great gifts that I received growing up, is that it never was about the gifts. Even for a little kid, the season itself was more magical than that. The fact that everyone was doing all this stuff for each other amazed me. People were nicer (generally) to each other during Christmas. It warmed your heart. As a child I felt it, even if I didn’t quite understand it.
To you parents out there that are stressed, worried and trying to give your child all the things you want them to have, please keep in mind the real things they will remember during Christmas. They want you to be there, present with them and doing things with them. Stringing popcorn, making snow cream (or eating candy canes) and wrapping the gifts, no matter what is under wraps. Tell them the Christmas Story. The one about God loving everyone enough to give up everything to be with them. The one about them being loved. That’s the best gift of all.
God bless Y’all.
Rolling Stones 