What Christmas is

My mother, who grew up during the Depression era, described highlights of her Christmas and that of her siblings. On Christmas Eve, the 13 children would hang a sock from a nail on the wall or perhaps leave the sock on the kitchen table to be filled Christmas morning with an apple, orange, and a few pieces of candy.

When returning to the one-room schoolhouse, she would relate to the other students about how Santa had brought her dolls, toys, and all kinds of extravagant gifts. Of course the other children didn’t receive any of those gifts either. Times were extremely hard in rural Arkansas.

As the years progressed, the wonders of Christmas changed, but some things stayed the same. There were many more yummy treats, twinkling lights, delightful parties, expensive gifts, and an assortment of greeting cards, and the commercialization of Christmas went full force.

I would prefer the simple celebration in which a family would have a special meal, maybe “tinsel icicles” on a small tree taken from the nearby woods. The children would make popcorn strings and various paper cutouts to hang on the tree. The Christmas story would be read, foreheads kissed, and everyone, including the grownups, got a good night’s sleep.

My mother really loves Christmas. She treasures her grandchildren and her great-grandchildren. The meaning of family, love, and food and a savior who came so we all could eventually have a perfect life continues.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your wisdom, which you give abundantly, and for coming to Earth so we could experience what Christmas truly is: you and you alone.

JANICE HOUSLEY Mabelvale