Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Christmas Day and all through the house...

It is that time of year that everyone breaks out their holiday memories and pours the emotion out into the bloggersphear to expose all of you to a little bit of them that you might not have known otherwise.

This blogger is doing just that!

I was talking to my mom the other day on the phone and she was telling me how these little posts I write about my childhood warm her heart. It got me thinking about what on earth will I post about for Christmas. That's when it hit me, the year i swore Santa was real!

Now I am not sure exactly how old I was, somewhere between seven and nine. I'm guessing eight. My dad would know better.

That year my brother and I were with our father for Christmas and we went to his parents (my grandparents) house in New Orleans for the celebration. My grandma had gone all out, she even hired a Santa to come and deliver presents for us.

I mean come on, it's SANTA! What kid wouldn't love that?!?

To make matters more interesting, when Santa left after giving out our presents I heard that sacred noise. The clattering of reindeer on the rooftop! I call out and inform everyone, "I hear reindeer!" Or at least in my memory that's what I did haha. My late uncle Mark begin to inform me that, no, sadly, it was not reindeer.

"But uh huh, yes it was!" I argued. I rushed to the window and looked out into the vast darkness of the Christmas Eve night and that's when I saw it!

"Uncle Mark! It's Rodolph! See his nose!!!"

Then ensues the debate. "Ashley that's a plane."

"No! it's Rodolph Uncle Mark!"

On and on it went, and still to this day the eight year old inside of me swears that yes! There was clattering of  hoves on my grandparents rooftop and YES! Rodolph was taking flight leading Santa and his sleigh through the night sky.

I really laugh when I think about this memory. It warms my heart and makes me smile. I've been trying to remember a Christmas before this one and I'm coming up short at the moment. I've seen videos of previous holidays but I really think this is the first one I remember on my own. And that makes it extra special.

It also makes me sad because it reminds me of the family member we lost far to early in life. My uncle was a wonderful man, a great father, and the best damn uncle the world ever had. He would have been 52 this year.

So it seems this year when I think back on Christmas and the holiday that most of the world comes to celebrate with gift exchanges and meal sharing, I am reminded of what the Spirit of Christmas is to me.

Family.

This year I am taking an extra moment to remember those who have gone before me. Those who wait for me beyond the golden gates in Heaven. And those family members who helped create a little piece of me, even if it was the tiniest spark.

Grandpa Pete, Grandma Blanche, Aunt Lee and Uncle Mark. My love for you shines a little brighter today.

(Photo is myself, my dad (left) and my late uncle Mark (right)

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