Christmas trees and fond memories…
Last Friday I went back to my childhood home and found myself trudging through the woods with
my family, looking for that perfect Christmas tree. This is one of our holiday traditions; the
weekend after Thanksgiving we go to my dads house in Solon Springs and he cuts down the
tree we pick. And every time we do this, a flood of memories fill my mind – fond memories.
Christmas was a magical time at my house and much of the family stress disappeared. I
remember my dad whistling Christmas tunes and my mom filled with emotion because the whole
family would go to church together. My mom started the tradition that we all had to give a gift of
ourselves in someway. My dad would always read a story from the big Christmas book on the
coffee table and my mom would always read the birth of Jesus in the gospel of Luke. My
siblings and I would usually perform on our many musical instruments or lip-sync a goofy
Christmas song.
It is interesting to me that I can only remember two gifts that I received in all my family
Christmases – a cabbage patch kid when I was a kid and a boom box when I was a teen. That is
all! I seriously can’t remember any other gift. Is that odd or is that your experience too? What
do you remember about the holiday season from your childhood? I mostly remember the
feelings, who was there, and the meaningful traditions that we held.
As you plan and prepare for this holiday season and try to find those perfect gifts for your loved
ones…. remember that in the years to come, all they will remember is the feelings, the traditions,
and the time you spent with them – the gift of yourself. YOU are the best present EVER!
Blessings and Merry Christmas!
Pastor Cynthia