Most Memorable Christmas Gift

Vicki requested a trip down Memory Lane to recollect our most memorable of all Christmas gifts. Here is mine.

Being the second of five girls all born within an eight year time span, wearing hand-me-downs was a way of life for us. What clothes we had that was new were whipped up by Mom on her trusty Singer sewing machine. She’d scrimp and save to buy fabric and patterns were passed between Mom and my Aunts to keep costs down. (I didn’t realize that then though …… I never thought about all our girl cousins of like age and size had the same clothes with the only difference being the color and print of the fabric). We always had a nice Christmas, even if there were only a few presents apiece under the tree. Stockings, red mesh and filled with hard candy, were taped with Scotch tape to an old brown desk in the living room. I never thought about others having more or better than us. It was enough.

The Christmas of 1963 I was 7 years old and in the Second Grade. My Mom and Dad had married December 25, 1954. Mom had worn a pale carnation pink wool dress to get married in, likely her very best dress. This Christmas, she cut her wedding dress apart at the seams and ironed the resulting odd shaped pieces of material flat. Then she took a paper pattern sized to fit a small girl (me), pinned, cut out and stitched the little dress together. Mom always made us dresses and outfits, but this dress was special because she had taken something that meant something to her and made it into something special for me. It was long sleeved, with tucks down the front and scratchy because it was wool. But I loved that dress and wore it until I outgrew it. Then it was passed down to Teresa, then Tina and Lana (if it lasted that long). I wish I had it today. I’d treasure it even more.

When we are young, we don’t realize the things we see, hear and feel will someday become precious memories that we will take out and treasure and pass on to our children and Grandchildren. I find myself telling my Grandsons about my childhood, growing up in a house filled with rules, noise, laughter and love. Mostly love. It’s a wonderful feeling.