I've surely told this story before, but when I'm feeling all tired and crabby and humbuggy and pathetic, I pull up this Christmas memory:

Christmas Eve, maybe 1982? I'll admit it, I was feeling wicked sorry for myself. My marriage was crumbling, finances were tight, my family lived in other states. It was Christmas Eve. I wanted to be home with my kids, getting ready for the Candlelight Service, but I had to work at the post office until 5:30. There wouldn't be time to get ready and make it to the service.

I wasn't looking forward to Christmas Day. We lived in an old drafty house, and it would just be my husband and I and our two children. As I said, I was just feeling sad and lonely and not very Christmassy.

It was almost time to lock up and walk home, when I looked out the front door and thought, "Wow, that man looks so much like my dad." Shocked, I realized it WAS my dad, and my mom, walking toward the post office, and right behind them my friend Anne, grinning away.

My dad wasn't driving anymore, but my friend had left her two little kids with a sitter and driven FIVE HOURS round trip on Christmas Eve to go fetch my parents and bring them to me for Christmas!

I will never forget that generous act of love. It reminds me of what Christmas is about, that kind of Love, no matter what the circumstances.

What a great memory, B2Y. I find myself reminiscing about past Christmas' more and more it seems. They're good memories that bring me peace and comfort no matter how much I miss the people who are no longer here with me.

My most vivid Christmas memory is of when I was a child - laying in bed with the blue Christmas window lights glowing behind the window shade. Everytime I see those big, oversized lights (you don't see them too often anymore) it makes me think of my bedroom......and the decorations put up by my Mom.......and how exciting Christmas Eve was then.

How sweet you two.

I remember a special Christmas morning in the early 50s, when I ran down the stairs to see what Santa had deposited under our REAL tree.

And what do my wondering eyes should appear.....but, a brand new coral taffeta dress with patten leather shoes, new socks, slip and panties, to wear to the big family gathering for Christmas. I was so excited!!!

B2Y - That brought tears to my eyes!!! What a beautiful memory. Thanks for sharing that with us.

I have too many great Christmas memories. I'd bore you all to death and fill up an entire post with them all. I guess I am fortunate to have such wonderful memories. And, you know, I can't really remember any of the gifts I got. What I remember were all the festivities and events. But, I come from a big family and my parents focused on the meaning of Christmas and never, ever on the gifts. Plus, money was not only tight but when all us kids were born, that's 10 Santa gifts under the tree. TEN! That's a lot of toys. No wonder I can't remember what I got.

Tears in my eyes too Doydie!
Oh, what I'd give for a glimpse of my mother or father again..... *sigh*

I guess the Christmas I remember most was when I was about 14. My Dad was a preacher. We lived about a mile from our church. The closer you got to the church the shabbier the homes were. Anyway on Christmas morning one of these homes burned down. The family had kids about the same age as all four of us. I think God worked it all out that way. So Mom and Dad woke us up, or we woke them up, not sure. We were told to go downstairs and pick out a gift with our name on it and we would take it down to this family. Most of our Christmas feast went also. Us kids had no idea what we were giving but that was the most meaningful time I have ever had.

B2Y - What a wonderful Christmas delivery! Usually, the post office delivers to us, not the other way around. What a remarkable friend you had to do that for you! I'll bet we could assemble some of these memories into a Lifetime Christmas movie!.

I was baking banana bread last night and watching sappy Christmas movies on Lifetime. I wasn't feeling much into Christmas so I thought that watching some of those movies would help.

Alex (my 11 year old) started watching one with me. It was totally a sappy girly movie (and very predictable), but he got sucked into it. He said about half way through it that "it's weird, but this movies is really sad but also really good" and he begged to stay up late to finish watching it.

I let him stay up with me and, of course, I cried at the end of the movie and he hugged me. That will be a good Christmas memory.

I remember watching "It's a Wonderful Life" with my mom every year at Christmas. I have to find out when that is playing and watch that with my kids this year.