Christmas

It seems like Christmas was much simpler when I was growing up. I am not sure my Mom would agree since she probably had to do all of the work in preparation for it. It was also simpler in that you would usually get no more that one or two gifts. Sometimes we got a few treats in our stocking and that was it. One gift was always something very practical.

I could be sure I would get a pair of socks or gloves from my Dad. I didn’t like it much but that’s what I always got. To my Dad, socks were everything! When he grew up in a family of five boys and one girl it wasn’t unusual for the boys to own only one pair of socks. In the summer it wasn’t so bad because they could go without socks and often even shoes. But in the winter it was an all-together different matter. When Dad gave me a pair of socks or gloves he was giving me something he cherished very much as a child. Thinking back on it I feel guilty that I was often unappreciative.

I wanted a present for Christmas.
Something that couldn’t be beat.
Something I really like.
Something really neat.
It wasn’t to be for Christmas.

You guessed it!
When I opened the box
It was a pair of dumb old socks.

On Christmas eve Dad would pull Loretta and I up the street on our sled to the Presbyterian Church for the evening service. The kids usually sat in the choir loft and sang Christmas songs while the older kids acted out the Christmas program on the platform below. At the very end Santa would come with ribbon candy. I loved the red ribbon candy but often didn’t get any because everyone else loved it, too.

I remember once when Santa came. I think it was Ralph Taylor or Sam Ewert or somebody like that. He had the ribbon candy in big flat boxes without a cover on top. There was row after row of ribbon candy in two boxes. Santa left one on the platform and lifted the other up into the choir loft. That was when the place went crazy. I was at the other end of the loft and could only witness the chaos of grabbing hands. Ribbon candy flew everywhere! So much for charity at Christmas! When the candy dust settled, Santa was holding the now empty box. His hat was askew and his glasses were barely hanging on below his nose. Most of the kids at my end of the loft were empty handed.

Not to worry said Santa, there is another box. He said he would take it to the back room where the choir robes were hung and we would all get some. The trouble was that I was sitting as far as possible from the door that led down to that room so by the time I got to the other box it was empty except for one piece of green ribbon candy. I hate green ribbon candy!