Hello! Welcome! I would offer you a warm place to sit and a hot chocolate for this Christmas Tour…but we’re still wearing flip flops and shorts here in Florida. So, how about a White Wine Spritzer with a lime twist? Come on in and join me for a tour and a story.
Foyer
The year was 1979. We lived in Northern Minnesota and I spent my free time in the winter at the local skating rink trying to learn to skate backward in a circle and do a lutz. We all wanted to be Alexis Winston from Ice Castles. The Duke’s of Hazzard was by far my favorite television show.
I just couldn’t make up my mind..who was cuter? Bo or Luke Duke? Babe by Styx blared on the radio between Christmas songs. I had Farrah Fawcett hair and life was good. 1979 was my year, and little did I know it was going to be one of the best Christmas’ of my childhood.
I’m a P.K. You know…a preacher’s kid. Christmas Eve was when we opened all of our presents because my dad would spend all of Christmas morning at the church holding church services. My mom always let us open up one present before we left for the church on Christmas Eve and then we had to wait to open the rest with my dad at the end of the night.
I carefully studied all the wrapped presents under the tree. Like any normal type A child I decided the best way to go about this was to line all my presents up in a row in the order in which I would open them. Sounds logical right? I shook them. I studied them. I hypothesized. Finally, I settled on one particular present because I was almost certain about what was inside. Finally my mom said we could open one up and I quickly tore off the paper and it was just what I thought it was…a brand new pair of white figure skates.
Almost immediately I began to beg my mom to drive me down to the ice rink before church so I could try them out. After some begging and nagging she finally agreed. When we arrived, no one was at the rink and it was dark.
No worries…I was a big girl and I really wanted to try them out. I jumped out of the car, walked carefully through the snow banks with my skates on, took off the guards and glided out onto the ice…in the dark. Once my mom saw I was safely on the ice she started to drive away. As we agreed, she would come back and pick me up in about 20 minutes.
Media Room
As the tail lights started to move down the road, fear set in. Without even stopping to put on my new guards, I ran with my skates on, blades clicking on the blacktop, out into the street chasing behind the car and yelling for my mom to stop.
Living Room
She, of course, did. As I climbed into the car and sat down in the passenger seat, I began to cry.
My mom could’ve been angry that I made her drive me down to the rink when she had so much to do at home. She could have been angry that I ran on the blacktop in my brand new skates. She could have been angry that I now sat there crying. But she wasn’t. Instead, she hugged me and told me that “it was okay to be little for a little while longer.” We went back and found my guards and headed for home.
When we arrived back home she told my brothers the rink was closed and quickly had me go in her room with her to help with some “Christmas presents”. I don’t think she ever told anyone about my attempt to be grown up. My older brothers never teased me about running on the road in my skates or being too much of a baby to stay at the rink by myself.
She let me open one more present before church, and I left for church feeling happy and calm in a pair of purple corduroy Vidal Sassoon pants and a purple and white plaid flannel shirt knowing for sure my mom was the greatest mom in the world.
I don’t remember most of the presents I received as a child…just a few. But I know I have always remembered the outpouring of love in our home. So my wish for Christmas is to fill my home with loving memories and less things to love. It’s my wish for you too!
Merry Christmas friends! Have a fantastic day!
Nancy
Such a nice story Nancy! Thanks for sharing.
Merry Christmas!
Maxine