Maxine's Story
Christmas
MERRY CHRISTMAS! Or, BAH HUMBUG! I've known for a long time that I could have it either way! And there were more than a few years when I thought Charles Dickens had a point!
December 25th doesn't wait until everything is going well. As a child born on the eve of the great depression, followed by the WWII years, I had little money! As an adult, married to a man who chose construction for a livelihood, I had to face the reality of seasonal work, which means unreliable income---wet winters in Oregon meant frugal living. "Saving for a rainy day" was more than a good idea---it was a necessity. I've occasionally had the feeling that Christmas would be a lot more enjoyable if only it came in the summer time.
Long after fiances were an issue, serious and frustrating health problems became one. Christmas celebrations take energy---mine was dwindling away. Traditions, no matter how precious they are, fall for the most part on Mother. Admittedly our current generation of young families have learned to share more of the household responsibilities---though Mother is also more apt to be found working outside her home.
Nevertheless, in our home, if there were cards to be written, gifts to be purchased, or made, decorations displayed, special foods of all kinds, entertaining friends, it was up to me---with one exception.
I was fortunate to have a husband who loved the whole Christmas tree thing! He enjoyed going out and cutting his own. He thought he was the only one who could properly put it into the stand (straight), or string the lights. Fine. He liked putting on the decorations with even the littlest kids help---though we all fell to arguing when it came time to put the icicles on. He liked to THROW them on! Finally, like almost everyone else, we gave up icicles---solved that problem.
Whatever the results were, they were fine with me---I didn't have to do it! Some years this resulted in some really sorry looking trees---but we just called them "Charley Brown" trees and enjoyed them all the more. We loved the fruitcakes (at least some of us liked fruitcake, and I have a great recipe), the pleffernusse, the steamed puddings, the seasonal cookies, the wonderful breads, both the quick ones and the complicated yeast ones with the foreign names. Most of all, we loved the candies.
Along with several of my friends I had developed certain candy making skills. We dipped chocolates (among the other kinds), and produced great quantities and varieties of delicious sweets. I bought a 50 lb box of dipping chocolate each year and used it all. Plus the English toffee, the truffles, caramels, fudges, pecan rolls, penuche, peanut brittle, divinity, the hard candies of every flavor and the molded suckers.
We had other traditions in our family---traditions that fun as they were, changed from time to time. We gave up caroling---we were no Osmond family. I had to give up the Christmas Eve lentil soup---there were only 2 of us who thought that a great idea!
We had the big early Christmas morning breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa, featuring 'Jones' little sausages, compliments of Grandpa, and 'homemade' everything else---followed in a few hours by a larger dinner ---soon followed by homemade pies, one which would be mincemeat---no surprise here---homemade!
Yes there were reasons to dread December 25---plenty of reasons. Yet each year, somehow, somewhere along the way, there came to me a reality. In the midst of all the flurry, an awakening to the real reason for the celebration of Christmas. Whether it was in a beloved carol or the old familiar stories or in a new one---in the faces of loved ones---or the kindness of strangers ---a sweet feeling of gratitude for the birth of our Savior, more awareness of the goodness of my fellowman, and an ever increasing love for family and friends---all enveloped somehow into the Christmas spirit.
'Peace on Earth'? No, surely not in my lifetime. We have yet to accomplish that. 'Stress on Earth' would be more accurate today. I can only hope for peace in my own heart, in my own home.
It is still up to me. Christmas isn't about cookies and cards and candies---it's not about overspent budgets and overworked mothers! Oh, I still do most of it---but just not all in the same year! It wouldn't matter if I did none of it. BAH HUMBUG! No---when the Spirit of Christmas touches my heart, everything gains a fresh perspective and a new focus, and I join with Tiny Tim! "God Bless Us Every One"!
Charles Dickens had it exactly right!
Pages 77 - 79
Website by Maxine