Mom made Christmas. Oh, Dad earned the money, but Mom did the shopping, wrapped the presents, filled the stockings and put them under the tree.
Mom was an “equalizer,” meticulously planning the shopping so that none of us four kids got more or less than the other. My brother and I were close enough to the same age that we basically got the same thing every year, cowboy outfits one year, bicycles another; I don’t know how they afforded it, but they did.
Christmas by Mom continued after we went to Papua New Guinea to work and live. She would make sure we got Christmas presents, even if it meant gathering them in June and mailing them in July! Because that’s what it took to get to us by Christmas.
Mom left us a few years back. Christmas just wasn’t the same for me for awhile.Especially being far from the rest of my siblings and my own family getting together at Thanksgiving added to it, too, I suppose.
But Christmas always turns my thoughts to Mom. There are many others for whom Christmas is not the joyous occaision it could be. I pray they find some comfort and joy in this season.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays for all my readers.
