Posts
Christmas is a time when our feelings are mellowed, deepened, more tender than ever before.
It is a time when little hidden secrets keep the heart fluttering, when the fire in the fireplace crackles in happy tone, and the lights on the tree twinkle in some magic, angelic way. Its a time when our love overflows and we want to make everybody feel good.
It's a time when those loved ones far away from home feel the distance stretched even farther.
It's a time when the lonely feel the very loneliest. A time when tears flow more freely, and there are those lump-in-the-throat Christmases.
Whatever Christmas is, it ties itself with the family. It's a time when families bond themselves together harmoniously. For the love of the Savior hovers over all.
A panorama of varied Christmas memories flow before me.
I arrived in the mission field shortly before Christmas. So before I left, all of my Christmas packages were wrapped and distributed. But my thoughts were so tender toward Steve. All other children were married and with little families, but Steve at college was left dangling. What could I leave him that would be loving and caring, without his mother in the home. A week after Christmas I received his letter. He said, "Mom, you labeled one present to me by mistake. Who should this soft brown bear go to?"
And then there was this Christmas when I looked upon a beautifully wrapped package to me from my husband. I was expecting our sixth child. And as my husband presented it to me Christmas morning, he sincerely expressed his love and gratitude to me as the mother of his children. I opened the package, my eyes popped open wide. There before me was an elegant, black satin dress slimly designed with a jeweled top. I sat there widely stunned. As soon as I could unfasten my eyes from this creation, I looked up at my husband. His eyes were set much wider than mine. At last he said, "I wonder how some man is feeling presenting his wife with your maternity smock." On December 26, my husband hurried to the store, he was laughing. The other man was there, he was not laughing. He was not speaking.
I remember a time in early Fall that my husband called me to the back porch. It was early, early morning. He was devastated. He stretched his arms out toward our acres and acres of seed. Frozen black. Early, unexpected, unwanted frost took our years harvest. The Christmas coming was a blue Christmas. I used the big drawer full of material. Sewing into the night little ruffled dresses, plaid flannel shirts, but what to do. This was our lump-in-the-throat Christmas. The calender would not stop moving on. It was December 21, my birthday, and I was walking through the snow to the mailbox. And there in the box was a refund check from the Boy Scouts Council. Our son, Jim, had gone to Valley Forge last July and the check said overpayment for the trip! $67.00 made payable to our son, Jim. I hurried to the house. I dropped on my knees and thanked my Heavenly Father for this Christmas blessing. Then I went to my son Jim, to see if I could borrow it. Then I changed my clothes and went shopping!
Then there was the Christmas when we were not only wrapping presents to put under the tree but we were loading a big suitcase that would travel to the MTC en route to Mexico. So this Christmas Eve was a lump-in-the-throat Christmas. I couldn't decide whether I was crying for joy or for sadness. As John and the others had all dropped off to sleep I softly walked to the living room and expressed my thoughts on a piece of paper:
"Christmas Eve"
Son, tonight while you lay sleeping
The quietness of this room
Keeps whispering and telling me
That you'll be leaving soon.
The leather chair holds reverently
The books you'll come to know
And white shirts lay beside them
As they catch the firelight's glow.
It's now their turn to take their place
And leave behind the toy
As you move on to manhood
And leave behind the boy!
Dream on my son in peacefulness
While I dream my dreams too
Of all the hearts you'll light and warm
In this work you're called to do.
Oh holy night - when Mary gave -
Her son with love sublime
In my small and humble way
Tonight - I offer mine!
Merry Christmas to all. Christmas is for families, for the Savior, for others, and for the stranger and all.
May we all bond closely with our families this Christmas. May we feel the love of our Savior, may we let His spirit be the center of our Christmas.
December 13, 1994
It is a time when little hidden secrets keep the heart fluttering, when the fire in the fireplace crackles in happy tone, and the lights on the tree twinkle in some magic, angelic way. Its a time when our love overflows and we want to make everybody feel good.
It's a time when those loved ones far away from home feel the distance stretched even farther.
It's a time when the lonely feel the very loneliest. A time when tears flow more freely, and there are those lump-in-the-throat Christmases.
Whatever Christmas is, it ties itself with the family. It's a time when families bond themselves together harmoniously. For the love of the Savior hovers over all.
A panorama of varied Christmas memories flow before me.
I arrived in the mission field shortly before Christmas. So before I left, all of my Christmas packages were wrapped and distributed. But my thoughts were so tender toward Steve. All other children were married and with little families, but Steve at college was left dangling. What could I leave him that would be loving and caring, without his mother in the home. A week after Christmas I received his letter. He said, "Mom, you labeled one present to me by mistake. Who should this soft brown bear go to?"
And then there was this Christmas when I looked upon a beautifully wrapped package to me from my husband. I was expecting our sixth child. And as my husband presented it to me Christmas morning, he sincerely expressed his love and gratitude to me as the mother of his children. I opened the package, my eyes popped open wide. There before me was an elegant, black satin dress slimly designed with a jeweled top. I sat there widely stunned. As soon as I could unfasten my eyes from this creation, I looked up at my husband. His eyes were set much wider than mine. At last he said, "I wonder how some man is feeling presenting his wife with your maternity smock." On December 26, my husband hurried to the store, he was laughing. The other man was there, he was not laughing. He was not speaking.
I remember a time in early Fall that my husband called me to the back porch. It was early, early morning. He was devastated. He stretched his arms out toward our acres and acres of seed. Frozen black. Early, unexpected, unwanted frost took our years harvest. The Christmas coming was a blue Christmas. I used the big drawer full of material. Sewing into the night little ruffled dresses, plaid flannel shirts, but what to do. This was our lump-in-the-throat Christmas. The calender would not stop moving on. It was December 21, my birthday, and I was walking through the snow to the mailbox. And there in the box was a refund check from the Boy Scouts Council. Our son, Jim, had gone to Valley Forge last July and the check said overpayment for the trip! $67.00 made payable to our son, Jim. I hurried to the house. I dropped on my knees and thanked my Heavenly Father for this Christmas blessing. Then I went to my son Jim, to see if I could borrow it. Then I changed my clothes and went shopping!
Then there was the Christmas when we were not only wrapping presents to put under the tree but we were loading a big suitcase that would travel to the MTC en route to Mexico. So this Christmas Eve was a lump-in-the-throat Christmas. I couldn't decide whether I was crying for joy or for sadness. As John and the others had all dropped off to sleep I softly walked to the living room and expressed my thoughts on a piece of paper:
"Christmas Eve"
Son, tonight while you lay sleeping
The quietness of this room
Keeps whispering and telling me
That you'll be leaving soon.
The leather chair holds reverently
The books you'll come to know
And white shirts lay beside them
As they catch the firelight's glow.
It's now their turn to take their place
And leave behind the toy
As you move on to manhood
And leave behind the boy!
Dream on my son in peacefulness
While I dream my dreams too
Of all the hearts you'll light and warm
In this work you're called to do.
Oh holy night - when Mary gave -
Her son with love sublime
In my small and humble way
Tonight - I offer mine!
Merry Christmas to all. Christmas is for families, for the Savior, for others, and for the stranger and all.
May we all bond closely with our families this Christmas. May we feel the love of our Savior, may we let His spirit be the center of our Christmas.
December 13, 1994
No comments:
Post a Comment