My Favorite Christmas Memories

Favorite Christmas Memories

Friends, I had written a long blog about how I once loved Christmas and it has now become a depressing time for me. I won't be posting it after all. Christmas is a time to reflect on blessings and joy, not rehash reasons it is not the best of times. So, please enjoy this blog as I share a few happy Christmas memories.

My earliest Christmas memories are of when I was about four years old and my family lived on Tombras avenue in East Ridge. It was here that I first experienced that rush Christmas images can give. If you are familiar at all with East Ridge, you know where the Pioneer Frontier playground is. In front of the playground there is a huge coniferous tree. I remember my brother and I getting ready for bed one night and he said for me too look out the window. The tree in front of the playground was all lit up for Christmas and the sight of it just mesmerized me and filled me with excitement and wonder like I'd never known before. I recall gazing upon it several more times that night and that year. I wonder if East Ridge still decorates the tree? That same year, I experienced the joy of having a wrapped gift. I had been sick and woke up on the couch and my mom pointed to a Christmas present that had been wrapped while I was asleep. I was so excited about what was in that box! I looked at it every day wondering what was inside. As it turns out, it was a set of Pac-Man colorforms. I had yet to grasp the whole gift giving idea as I remember thinking when I opened the gift, "Next year it won't be a surprise". I guess I thought that was what I would get every year from there on.

My family had a kind of unusual Christmas tradition. Every Christmas morning we would rise early and drive to Macon, GA to visit my mom's side of the family. Therefore, there was no time for a regular Christmas morning at home. So, Santa came around 9PM on Christmas Eve. How this worked was the entire family would go to the annual Rhudy Christmas dinner held at my aunt and uncle's (Judy and Gary's) house in Ringgold. Around 9 or so, my mom and my grandmother, Ma'Ma', would leave to go home and see if Santa Clause had came yet. It begged the question every year, "Can we go to?" which of course was answered "No." Even at a young age, I knew they were going home to set out the presents, but I still wanted to believe in the spirit of Santa Clause and let myself think that he had really come.

Oh what a long drive that was back from Ringgold to East Ridge. Knowing that huge cache of toys and presents awaited! Ironically, my brother and sister and I would extend the wait a few more seconds. When we got home and ran for the front door, we had to run past the picture window that looked into the living room. We would never look in the window to see if Santa had come. We insisted on running and opening the door. Perhaps we sought extend that month's long anticipation a few seconds more before seeing all the gifts. Heck, the greatest anticipation always seemed to be waiting to go to Judy and Gary's for it was always a good time and when it ended Santa would have came! Even after we stopped going to Macon on Christmas Day, we kept this tradition going.

A funny Macon trip story came to be on the final trip we made down there at Christmas time, at least as a family. I was in the sixth grade and of all three cars sitting in the driveway, only my brother's wrecked Monte Carlo could be trusted enough to drive us all south. My brother had rear ended somebody a few months before. My dad decided he best duct tape the front end of the car up before we took it on a long trip. Why? Who the hell knows. My brother had been able to drive it several months sans duct tape. My dad worked his logic and we were off on our way. It wasn't long before those silver strips were flapping in the wind as the car careened down the freeway. I recall my dad saying, "The glue on it must be defective." A ridiculous idea met with a most laughable explanation for its failure. Ah, Christmas memories!

One year, in Jr. High, I had asked for the Star Wars Trilogy on VHS. As I studied the gifts under the tree, I was beyond certain I would be getting it as one package addressed to me was just the right size. I even got three VHS tapes and held it up against the package to ensure my measurements were correct. I was very excited to be getting this gift! Come Christmas Eve, we were opening gifts and I put this one aside because I was "saving the best for last". As I opened the gift the excitment left me more quickly than I ever thought possible. The gift...three blank VCR tapes packaged together. I laugh as I type this remembering that night. Sure, I was glad to have them, but definitely not the gift I anticipated.

I hope maybe thsi blog brought a few smiles to your face.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!