Christmas memories

There are so many people over the years who have made the celebration of Christmas special and memorable and important.

My grandparents, Floyd and Winnie Wall, loved Christmas. My Dad has some old black and white Christmas pictures from his childhood,and even though the tree was small and a bit scraggly, there were glorious presents there, and the family joyfully anticipated these "riches" during very, very lean and meager times.

In my teenage and college years, we enjoyed watching my grandparents enjoy our Christmases. One year we played a game, where we constructed our homemade version of Wheel of Fortune, to decide what gift was to be opened next by them. When they guessed the right word, each opened a gift, which then began a new set of clues. This game show was one of their favorites, and it was fun to see them participating so enthusiastically in our Christmas version.

My parents love Christmas. Their establishing of so many different family "traditions" over the years make this time of year really fun for me. When I first left home for college, one of the high points each year was coming home for the holidays--beautiful sights, wonderful aromas, lots of good cheer and love.

One of the most cherished traditions--by me--is their model of generosity. They are generous all year long, actually, but their giving spirits really relish this time of year. They spend the weeks of December giving everything from money to food to special surprises to individuals and families who would otherwise go without or who would celebrate with very little. They enjoy every minute of it, and I love this radiant goodness that lives in them. Jesus shines brightly in the red brick house on Paradise Street. (That really is the street name!)

In this season, there is so much for which to be thankful. I love my memories, and I hope I don't miss a single moment of the present season. It won't be perfect, and we won't get it all right, but I do hope that I squeeze out every bit of joy this season and this Christmas offers--and every day in the year ahead.

Jana