The Best Christmas Ever

Christmas, the money holiday. I know it is when Jesus Christ, our savior was born and we are supposed to be celebrating that. Unfortunately, too many people tend to forget that and the season becomes more of trying to buy everyone on your list a gift and worrying about that one you may have forgotten. As for a lot of us that forgotten one is Jesus. Our true values are not there. At least what should be true values. This also includes what family and friends should really mean to us.

My story begins in the late sixties when my mother was busy trying to raise three children alone. She worked two jobs to keep our household going and we didn't see her much. We were old enough to make our own meals plus some for her, get our homework done and go to bed at a decent time. We'd get ourselves up for school and made the bus on time.

As I've written before about earlier times in my life my father was an alcoholic. He was away in the service which was best for all of us. The physical and mental abuse at the time was just not worth it. So my mother had to raise us without child support which she did without complaining. Life was very tough at times but we had everything we needed.

I think one of my most favorite Christmas stories is one when there was only the four of us. Mom, my brother, sister and I. We had our first live Christmas tree which I think cost about four or five dollars. Mom always had her old ornaments from her past which I still have a few of myself at this time. She'd decorate that tree in her own unique way every year and it was always so beautiful.

We knew not to expect much of anything for Christmas. One thing we did have was a day off with our mother and a nice Christmas dinner.

The three of us woke up to find a gift for each of us under the tree. We also had our homemade Christmas gifts ready for our mother to open as we waited excitedly. Each of us kids opened a brand new wrist watch which was something none of us ever had. We were pretty excited about that.

After all the gift opening my mother began to cry. When we asked why she explained how she had to close the savings account she had opened for each of us to buy Christmas dinner and our gifts. At that time there was probably about ten to fifteen dollars in each account. She really felt badly about the whole deal.

I remember how the three of us told our mother that we were really having a nice Christmas and we genuinely meant that. We were all together in our warm home while the smell of the Christmas turkey was starting to fill the air. No friction. Just a peaceful day as a family.

I'll never forget that Christmas. I don't even have pictures but I will always have that memory. There are many to remember but that will always be the best Christmas ever for me.