Guest Author 7

Guest Author #7

Christmas was always a special time as I was growing up. My first recollection of Christmas was probably in 1945 or 1946 after my dad came home from WWII. The old photo albums show pictures of decorated trees and a young me, sitting on the floor in front of the tree with my Christmas gifts.
When I was 10 years old we moved to a smaller house while a new house was being built on the front of that acreage. There was only room for a small tree, standing on a card table in the corner of the living room. But the decorations were lovely and as always the tree was loaded with lots of silver tinsel. My mom loved tinsel and she wanted it hung on the tree one piece at a time. I remember when I was a teenager, she gave over the tinsel hanging project over to me and my younger brother. We opened the packages and hysterically threw handfuls of the stuff at the tree. Mom was not pleased.
At this point in my life my grandmother and great grandfather were also living on the same property. So of course they were always part of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Frequently my aunt, uncle and cousins would travel across the mountain pass to spend the day with us.
My grandmother and my dad both worked for the railroad. Grandma worked the graveyard shift, and my dad worked the afternoon shift. I remember he always had Wednesday and Thursday off so unless Christmas fell on one of those days, he had to leave for work at 3:30 in the afternoon. Mom always figured a way to have Christmas dinner or Christmas brunch around grandma sleeping and dad leaving for work.
My great grandfather passed away the first week of December 1958. He had all his Christmas gifts wrapped and ready. My gift from him that year was a decorative tin filled with pennies. I still have the gift tag he had taped to that tin.
Besides all the wonderful, happy family memories I also remember the memories of Sunday school Christmas programs. At one point in my life I was the tallest and had to stand in the back row behind everyone-I didn't like that very much. But I'm thankful that I learned at an early age the reason we celebrated Christmas. I knew that Jesus was not actually born on December 25th but that's the day that was chosen many, many years ago to celebrate his birth. I remember hearing the story of his birth over and over, read from the Bible. I still read it every year at this time. I can't remember when I didn't know the words to 'Away In A Manger' and 'Silent Night'. And when I became a mother, I sang 'Away In A Manger' as a lullaby to my children.
For me and my entire family.....Christmas is a time to be with family and friends but also a time to stop and remember that precious babe born in a stable all those many years ago.
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This is an invitation for anyone and everyone to post a entry of their own on my journal, Vagabond Journeys http://vagabondjourneys.blogspot.com/.

The end of the year holidays are soon upon us and since it is a time for celebrations, remembrances, resolutions and plans for the future I know that people have a lot to say.

Not to take away from the postings on your journals, but to add to the joy of my own celebrations is why I invite you to write for mine.

I want to read what your thoughts are about this magical time of the year. This invitation is open to everyone: Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Pagans, Agnostics, Atheists and the Uncertain.

Tell me your thoughts on Chanukah, Christmas, Ashura, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, New Years Eve. or any subject you wish or associate with this holiday season.

There are no limits in regard to length. The only limitation is that, for reasons so far unexplained to me, my blog does not take photographs, animations, videos or pictures of any kind. I deal in words.

Please accept my invitation. Send your entry to my email address dbdacoba@aol.com I will copy and paste it into my journal and it will be displayed promptly. You may sign your name or not as you wish, and you may leave a link to your blog or your email or not, as you wish. I will do NO editing or censoring. Eloquence is not necessary, mind or heart or both is all.

All are welcome. Admission is free.

DB
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