Christmas memories
Among Other Things
There's something about Christmas that brings back all kinds of memories — some funny, some heartwarming, some sad, some inspiring and some that you almost wish you could forget.
Funniest memories
Must have been in the early 1970s. My mother had toured the Holy Land earlier in the year and purchased a number of souvenirs that she would mail occasionally. Among them were a miniature wood covered Bible, small clay jars that represented the type of vessel in which The Dead Sea scrolls were discovered in a cave in 1947.
At Christmas she sent a box of presents for the kids. Each of them received a package containing a real mystery gift — a small patch of burlap in the middle of a cord or heavy string. After a half-hour of guessing what the items were, the kids came to the conclusion they were nose warmers. (This was during the time that we still enjoyed cold, snowy winters).
They tried 'em on — Not only did they look goofy, the things smelled bad, too!
When Grandma called to wish us a Merry Christmas, she wondered if the box of presents had arrived in time.
It had, and I told her the kids thank her for the nose warmers.
There was silence on the other end, broken when she asked, "Nose warmers?"
"Yeah, those cords with the burlap patch attached."
"Ooof, those aren't nose warmers. They're sling shots that I brought back from my Holy Land trip!"
Another favorite was the children's program on Christmas Eve 1996 in the First Presbyterian Church in Missoula. Granddaughter Claire was too young yet to have a part in the program so she sat in the pews with the family.
As the program was about to begin, the lights lowered and a hush settled over the audience, when Claire started singing "Kum By Ya, My Lord, Kum By Ya…."
Snowiest Christmas
That year was the snowiest Christmas I ever experienced. When we were in the church, snow had started falling and by the time we left it was really coming down.
"Ahh, a white Christmas," we thought. Little did we know. When we awoke Christmas morning and looked outside, the snow was at least two feet deep, roads were closed, and no one was going anywhere for a while. We were supposed to have breakfast at Ruth and Lance's place across town. We finally got there for Christmas dinner!
The Most Different
Christmas 1996 also had to be the most different — it was the first one after the death of my wife, Mary Lou, in February of that year. It was a mixture of emotions and blessings. Lonely because she wasn't there; yet uplifting by the love and support of family members; the adventure of the big snowstorm; the fun and joy of the children's program and Claire's spontaneous song!
Loneliest Christmas
That was spent aboard a bus returning to Great Falls AFB after having been on furlough to visit my folks in California. But there was even a cheerful note there. As we arrived at the bus depot in Dillon, a group of Jaycees and Jayceens were on hand to greet the passengers and hand out hot coffee and cookies. Their thoughtfulness was appreciated on that cold, icy night.
One I'd just as soon forget was Christmas 1950 when I ended up doing KP duty during basic training at Lackland AFB.
The Most Inspirational
The Christmas Eve candlelight service at the Polson Presbyterian Church has been the most inspirational experience for me each time I attend. In recent years most Christmases have been spent in Missoula, so I've not been able to attend the Polson service — and I miss that.
It's hard to find words to adequately describe the feeling conveyed as the lights dim, and the congregation sings Silent Night and the candles are passed gradually bringing light to the setting. Words that come to mind are peace, joy, comfort, caring, hope, and God's love. After all, that's what Christmas is all about.