It was early in the morning the first week of December of 1955. The telephone rang incessantly until mom answered it. “Gary, it’s for you”, I heard her call. Making my way slowly out of bed and meandering downstairs at a snails pace, I took the phone and greeted my cousin Cliff who was calling, much to early in my opinion.
He asked if he could come over and, after asking my mother, I told him he could. He arrived about a half hour later and we retreated to my upstairs room. Cliff reminded me that this was a special day. It was the day we would make up our list of things we wanted for Christmas.
Now, you need to know that there was fierce competition between our mothers to see who could do the most for their children at Christmas. Cliff and I were very aware of this. Hence, each December we would get together and make a list of these things we wanted. Cliff would then go home and say, “Mom, Aunt Mae is getting Gary an Army rifle and military gas mask. I would go to my mother and similarly declare, “Mom, Aunt Dorothy is getting Cliff a Lionel Train Set and baseball bat!” The strategy never failed! Sure enough, come Christmas morning, wrapped neatly under the tree, were the gifts we were eagerly anticipating…and much more.
As I look back fondly on those days, I must admit our Christmas largesse bordered on the obscene. To think that Dad had to pay for all those gifts!
In my adult years I tried to compete with those memories, buying and spending much more than I should have although I don’t think my children ever complained much. Neither were they as devious as my cousin and I.
Christmas places, upon parents, enormous pressures to spend beyond ones means. Many families go deep into debt trying to meet the expectations of children and other family members. Of course the season is one for gift giving, however, we all must take care not to succumb to the expectations of society. We must be reasonable in our rush to make people happy through gifting.
We also must be ever aware of our responsibility to teach our children what the season is really about! Santa, the tree and other decorations and gifts are all fine. It brings joy and a festive spirit. It is the birth of the Christ child, however, that we must not fail to focus on. When all the gifts have been opened, and all of the family visits have concluded, our families must be left with the enduring message of the Christ child whose advent has provided for our lives in eternity.
My cousin, Cliff, has since gone to Glory but if he were here today I am sure we would be laughing about our youthful days and when I get to heaven I am sure he will remind me, joyfully, of the Christmases we spent upstairs in my room carefully putting our lists together. What’s on your list this season? Think about it carefully and then celebrate the season as it should be celebrated1
Have a blessed season!
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