Packing and re-packing. I feel totally unprepared for I own the exact opposite of winter apparel. As I spend this time alone with my thoughts, I start to think back on all the different Christmas experiences I have had over the years. One of which was as a child. I was around five years old. It is one of the few holiday memories I have of being with all of my family in Akron, Ohio. My parents were still together and my brother Taylor was only a year or two. Half the day was spent with my fathers family. The Italians. I have numerous cousins on this side and we are all very close in age. My cousins AnneMarie, Theresa, MaryKay and I would all play dress up. With costume jewelry on and our new doll babies by our side, we would prance around the house pose for pictures and smile when our fathers would tell us that we were the prettiest girls in the world. The food was authentic and so were the people. The other half of the day was spent with my mothers side of the family. The English/Germans. I was the oldest of the grandchildren and really had to just entertain myself. I remember sitting on my great-grandfathers knee. I remember his hands looking so big. He had been a farmer most of his life and his hands were proof of this. I would sneak cookie after cookie and I would eat my grandmothers famous cheese ball until I felt sick. My favorite thing was to sit under the dining room table and listen to the grown-ups. Their stories were like fables of a far off land. I enjoyed this very much.
So this was Christmas! The changing of houses, the different foods, and the anticipation of all the gifts I was going to get to unwrap and play with. I only attended these family gatherings a couple times before moving to Klamath Falls, OR ; yet the thought of these times stay in me. The crazy thing is that now my mother is closer to the age her mother was then and I am closer to the age that my mother was and my brother is the age my uncles were. The time has gone by quicker than snowflakes in a snowstorm....
This year I look forward to Christmas with new friends and new family. The little girl inside me is still just as excited! This is my favorite time of year. I will reflect on my experiences, my memories and my accomplishments. Now that I am grown the anticipation of this new year and all that it hold is just as magical as it was as when I was a young girl opening that one special gift from Santa and hoping it was a Barbie!!!!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends and family!!! I love you all very much!
xoxo
Terra
ReplyDeleteNice post. You have a very engaging writing style by the way. Have a good Xmas!
-- Uncle Brian (now closer to the age of the Grandpas of your youth - yikes!)