Tag Archives: Merry Christmas

The Best Day Ever

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http://dailypost.wordpress.com, DP, Daily Prompt

You get to enjoy the best day ever — describe in detail what that means to you. Where are you? What will you do? What’s the weather like? What will you eat? Who will you see?

Photographers, artists, poets: show us INDULGENT.

Let’s forget reality for today. Let’s pretend that every wish I wanted does exist and come true.

Today is Christmas. The lights are twinkling on the seven-foot tree. Christmas music is playing in the background. The scented candles are lit. The scene is lit and I am standing calm in the doorway. I have my velvet red dress on with matching necklace and earrings. My shoes are the matching color of my dress.

I open the front door and welcome with a big smile my family and hug each one as they enter my home.

Everyone comments about the delicious smells that are drifting their way from the kitchen. They each place their wrapped gifts under the tree. There is no worry from me this year that all here will not walk a way without a few gifts and goodies of their own.

Al is in his recliner watching The Christmas Story. I call out to him and he comes out to the kitchen with the biggest smile. He hugs me and thanks me for making this such a wonderful Christmas for him.

Everyone is seated in their marked seats at the big dining room table. Candles glowing bouncing off the crystal glasses. Festive red and green napkins hug the bright red tablecloth.

The conversation is awesome. Everyone is on their best behavior. The food is delicious. The desserts are eaten. Afterwards all jump in to help clear the table and do the dishes as the kiddies are mingling around the Christmas tree with squeals of delight on opening their gifts.

I take lots of photos so that I may share them with my friends here on WP and FB. The day lingers and the memories I am building are that this is the best Christmas ever.

But the bubble is burst and I sit here in the silence on Christmas morning. I haven’t heard any stirring from my brother and I fear just a little to walk in his room. For he has repeatedly told me he will not be here for Christmas.

But hopefully I will walk in and wish him a Merry Christmas. I can hope that he smiles back at me in silence. I will bathe him in bed. Place him in a dry brief, position him on his side and turn the movie on which has to be The Christmas Story.

I will go to the kitchen and find some clear liquids for his breakfast since yesterday he vomited three times. Thick mucus is building up in him and he is choking. Swallowing as of yesterday has become a very difficult thing for him.

I will sit with him and feed him and give him his medicines so his pain is lessened. Afterwards I will swab his mouth and shave his face. I will go to the silent kitchen and begin the preparations for the noon meal. My memories will come alive as I relive past Christmas Days when Mom and Dad were not in heaven.

My son will arrive shortly before noon and they will  play with their children while I cook. Silent tears will fall for what once was. My children in our home. Al not in his bed dying. Laughter and music filling the air.

Dinner is served. Some conversation will be done. Al will be in his room and I will make the best of this situation with God‘s help. Gifts are opened and then they leave for another day of sharing with their extended family.

I look at the mess and I check on Al. I begin clean up duty as it won’t be long until the aunt I haven’t spoken to in six years comes to visit Al at his request. I pray that the visit is nothing less than good.

I ponder on what time my daughter will arrive on Thursday and begin to prepare for the new day.

Merry Christmas Al, Merry Christmas my children where ever you are. I miss you Mom and Dad. I wish things were different.

christmas tree 4

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Christmas Cards

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44Alastair gave me an idea. He wants Al‘s address so he can send a Christmas card to him.

Isn’t that a great idea? I remember I did this for his birthday, but why not Christmas too?

If anyone would like to wish my brother a Merry Christmas, please email me at

tellmenolies2004@yahoo.com

for his address.

Thanks everyone. Don’t feel obligated, I know stamps are expensive and time is valuable.

Christmas At Our House

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In bringing Christmas to Al I have spent a lot of time in his room today since he is home. Pulling out boxes and bags, looking for Coca Cola Christmas items. He was so engrossed with what I was bringing out the tears stopped.

When I first started bringing him things he cried. Each new piece, brought more tears. Then I started pulling out items he has not seen since he has been home from the Nursing Home. The tears slowed. I decorated his room with greenery and before the afternoon was over I had completely transformed his room into Christmas. Reds and Christmas music floated around him.

Holiday Snoopy, Charlie Brown stuffed animal that plays Merry Christmas, a musical globe with the traditional Christmas colors all lightened his spirit. I told him that since he didn’t think he would be here for Christmas I was going to prove to him that he was here for Christmas by bringing it to him.

Mickey Mouse is playing his horn. The ramp I push Al down in the mornings and afternoons are all decorated with silver tinsel and red bows. I found Christmas music on U Tube and our house has turned from death to gaiety.

It is sort of odd. The house is quiet from family and kids and yet there is a peace that is  flowing through our house as Al smiled at me as he looks at his collections of red, greens and sparkles in his room with music playing softly in the background. It is truly Christmas inside our house and Al isn’t missing a thing.christmaschristmas 2oct 13 13purple candles

 

Unbroken Circle

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I have been baking for the past three days. I took many breaks because of my bad back. I

Christmas gifts.

Christmas gifts. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

made lots of goodies. I even managed to sweep the main part of the house, dust and sweep.

I have listened to the Christmas country station in the background the past four days. I never did tire of it. It was like I wanted to squeeze my heart around the words, because I know the day after tomorrow it will be gone for yet another year.

Joy to the world. We live in a world that we can live in joy if we choose to. Isn’t it wonderful to be able to have that freedom? Silent night, this is what it is tonight, as I slow down my activities and let the rest wait until tomorrow.

For as long as I can remember, my family and I  have always gone to my parents home on Christmas Eve. Tonight, I sit here alone. Don’t worry, tomorrow will be full of hustle and bustle, but tonight I am pondering over my past life.

We would drive slowly  out to mom and dad’s house. It would always be cold and icy. It never feared as they lived way out in the country and the roads were nasty in the winter. We would rush in the front door. Never needed to knock or be let in. It was home.

Mom would be in her pretty red lacy apron. She would be stressed out by the look on her face, but always managed to say hi with a big smile. Dad would be sitting in the living room in his recliner watching some wood shop program. My brother Al would be in his bedroom, sitting quietly with the television on but turned down low. Al was always on guard for arguments or his dad raising his voice. This made Al very nervous, so he was always quiet as a mouse.

I don’t remember back to when my half-sister still lived at home but I do remember many times when she would enter late. Supper on hold, mom in tears, dad yelling at sister for upsetting mom. This would start the movie scenes that were not always pretty. Sister and dad always argued. Dad wanted J. to grow up and do things for herself and mom babied her. Today, you can tell that mom got her way. J. can’t be independent, or doesn’t want to.

Anyways, there was mom and dad, plus Al. When we arrived ,  we brought our three cutie pies. J. brought her three kids also. So it was a nice size for the dinner table. Mom would make date cookies every year. She also made fudge, iced sugar cookies. She always made a chocolate pie whether it was Christmas or a birthday. This was my dad‘s favorite.

She would have the same menu year after year. She made home-made lasagna with garlic bread. We came to love and depend on it. After dinner was eaten and cleared, all the kiddies would run to the living room where the lit tree was sparkling. They would get just as close to the presents without getting told to scoot back. Dad would yell out to Mom and me,”Are you done with those dishes yet”? It makes me smile just thinking back on those days.

We would make our way to the living room and mom always played Santa Clause. The kiddies always got mainly clothes, and a toy or two. I don’t remember what Al and J got, but my then hubby and I would get a gift together and some smaller individual ones. The last gift I remember was a gas grill. After all the wrapping papers were tossed all over the floor, dad would go to his room and come out with this huge smile. In a brown lunch bag would be a giant chocolate Hershey bar and a two liter of diet coke. He would go purchase  each of us three kids this each year. He just loved doing this for us. Actually, this was the best present ever each year. To see dad smile handing his treasures to us.

One funny thing I have to tell you is Mom forgot stuff. She bought gifts all through the year, and she would hide them in the closet and then find one of  them after Christmas was over. The next year she would drag it out, and yet leave another gift hidden in the closet from this years shopping. We could always count on it.

The year mom passed away, there was no Christmas not even with  dad.  Christmas spirits and joy just died in the house, he missed mom so much. He just wasn’t interested. He would come to my house and give me a card with money in it. I would see tears in his eyes and then he would disappear in to the darkness returning to his home. As I was saying the year mom died, dad not only brought me a card he brought me an unopened box of pots and pans. He said mom had bought it earlier and it was to be a Christmas gift. I still have them after 12 years have passed. I can not let them go. They are used and a few scratches, but they are worth more to me than any dollar.

Now tonight I glance at my own grown children. Spending time not at my parents home, but in their own homes with their children. They are building memories so they can go back in time some day when I am up in heaven with mom and dad. Life is an unbroken circle. You live, love and laugh and build memories. Hopefully you lived a good enough life that you can do what I am doing now. Spending Christmas Eve alone, not with my parents, but in my mind and heart they are very close.

Merry Christmas mom and dad. I love you and can’t wait to see you again. As for Al? I can’t wait until tomorrow. He is coming HOME to spend Christmas with me. I get a whole day with him! Tomorrow will be my mother in me. Hustling and bustling without the apron. I will have a dish towel on my shoulder instead. I will be stressed somewhat, because I am not used to these family gatherings.   I have to admit, the noise will get to me. New memories will be built tomorrow and at the end of the day after everyone is gone, and Al is back in his new home, I will lay on my bed and smile up at mom and dad, and ask, “Did I do a good job? Did I do it just like you mom? I love you both”.

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Merry Christmas From Me To You

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People rushing everywhere

English: Pinus ponderosa (habit with Kim sledd...

Grandpa still in underwear

Kids are laughing at his array

Dad says turn your heads the other way

Trying to load the car just right

Get the presents packed so tight

Scruff the dog he wants to go

Mom and I we tell him no

Scruff gets mad and gets back at us

Now he’s in the trash making a fuss

Grandpa’s dressed and now in-car

Thank God we don’t have to drive very far

Mom is looking in the mirror

She’s drinking the last of her good beer

She looks at me and gives thumbs up

She burps real hard and almost throws up

I yell the last it’s time to go

Everyone in the car, let’s go to the show

Packed with presents candy and more

I don’t look back as I shut the door

Traffic is dead for all I can see

Did you see that darn deer looking at me?

Pretty trees are all lit up to see

Sledders and skaters whiz quickly by me

Finally we are here we all jump out

We glue on our smiles and give a shout

Let’s all be on our best behavior today

No swearing no rudeness will be our gift for the day

Welcomed in and hugged too hard

Do you smell turkey that has been charred?

We looked at each other as we make our way

I’m sure we won’t forget this Christmas Day.

Terry Shepherd

12/24/2012

 

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