10 years ago, Dec. 3rd, my dad passed away after a short illness & suffering from dimentia for a couple of years. I've been thinking about him alot lately....especially when I started getting the Christmas decorations out of the basement & putting things up. Christmas was always so magical when I was growing up, because my parents made it that way. We were not a religious family, even tho we went to church & Sunday School for awhile & I'm sure participated in their Christmas pageants. But as far as "the reason for the season", that wasn't the focus in our home...at least not the way I remember it. Oh yes, we had the manger scene, which I think Mom still has & puts out every year, but that part of Christmas wasn't something that was instilled in me. Christmas was full of decorations & gifts & parties & snow...a trip to downtown Akron Polsky's to see the magical Christmas windows...& Dad swearing putting up the huge 8 or 9 foot live tree. When I think back on it, it probably was very stressful for my parents even tho they seemed to love it & it probably took weeks to get it all done. My great aunt always made Santa Claus cookies & when she passed away, we took over the tradition. They were the best & that was Christmas morning breakfast...usually only one, cause they were the biggest cookie I'd ever seen! My little brother & I got to decorate the tree in the "rec room" (which would be a family room today). That was such a treat! Then there were the huge windows in the living & dining rooms that, when old enough, I was allowed to paint Christmas things on them...like wreaths & reindeer & Santa & trees...THAT was a treat. We always had tons of decorations outside too...like a real red sleigh that was filled with "fake" gifts & a lifesize Santa (I think)...lights all over the house & spotlights & garland & lights on the fence. Then the parties would begin...the family parties & the "adult" parties. To me now, it must have went on all December, which means we started the day after Thanksgiving. I don't remember shopping, but I remember Mom wrapping & wrapping & wrapping & wrapping on a cardtable set up somewhere... & I remember not being allowed in certain areas of the house cause there were things "hidden". Christmas Eve was so exciting, getting my jammies on & the milk & cookies ready for Santa & the anticipation of hearing his reindeer on the roof if sleep didn't take over as soon as I hit the pillow. But Christmas morning, coming down that long staircase, with the bright "spot" light on dad's movie camera blinding me the whole way, I knew the magic was REALLY about to start. As soon as I turned the corner at the bottom of the steps & saw my grandparents & great aunt & uncle anxiously awaiting & the half eaten Santa cookie & milk gone, I knew the gifts under the tree would be overwhelming....cause that's the way my family did it....even when times were tough, I never knew it...there was always plenty of decorations to put up, gifts to open & food to eat...I was blessed & most definitely spoiled, but that was my parents way. Mom, at 90 stills decorates her place herself, inside & out & if you saw it, you wouldn't believe it....it's still magical & still her favorite time of year. It has become my tradition to do the same but since this Christmas is going to be different in so many ways, I decorated a little more than usual...not knowing why, but realizing now, that Dad's memory pushed me along & early at that. It's now all done & I can relax & enjoy it all & remember all Christmas' past...from my childhood through my own kids childhood & know that Dad is watching down over me with a smile on his face,
saying "that's my girl". Merry Christmas Dad, I love you & miss you <3
