I thought I would write here a few more of my favorite Christmas moments.
One Christmas, I had to be 9 or 10, and this was the great year of Cabbage Patch dolls. I honestly did not think I would get one because they were super expensive for my family. Well, I accidentally opened a gift from my dad’s dad (my grandfather), days early. Who knew he had not wrapped the gift within the bag? Well anyway I got a beautiful brown yarn hair cabbage patch that I soon named SISSY, after my favorite older cousin. Then Christmas came around and my mom and papaw were acting all kinds of suspicious. On Christmas eve night, when my mom, Nanna, and I would normally go out to view the lights and have Santa come, my papaw and mom went out. I was a nervous wreck. What if Santa would not come because I was home? I was convinced to go take a bath and play when mom and papaw got back, we would see if Santa had come or if we needed to go out to the lights.
Well once my papaw and mom were back, I came into the living room and all the gifts were there. Somehow, I don’t know how it happened! I got to open presents and I was very happy but they could tell I was a little sad. I had asked for a boy cabbage patch. Well at the end my mom says to papaw why don’t you go see if there is anything on the porch. So, papaw did and he came in with two cabbage patches. Betty White and Harry. Harry was bald and I still have him to this day. He was from papaw and Betty White was from my mom. They told me one of the local stores had ordered some but they were late to come in, so they had to wait in a long line to purchase them from Santa. I loved those two cabbage patches so much. They were my friends and my babies all at the same time.
Although we did not have the money my mom and papaw put so much aside to get me those dolls. I may have been young but I knew what it meant and how much I was loved in that moment. These are the emotions attached to the memories that allowed me to forgive my mom.
Another memory was I guess the year I was 16. My Nana was in the nursing home and we could not get her up into our house because of the wheelchair. We did take her to church, out to eat, and for drives. This year we didn’t have a lot of money but I did get a bottle of Navy perfume. Christmas happened to fall on a Sunday, so my papaw and mom said we didn’t have the money to cook. So we took nana to church and on walks. One of my grandparents’ really good friends came up to us after church and said that the hotel they were staying at was having Christmas dinner in their restaurant and that they were going to take my family to eat. This is the last holiday meal I remember having with my Nana, but what a blessing.
So many times, my family experienced the true miracle of Christmas. More times than not Christmas would be very small and, on our steps, would be gifts left. Gifts for me, for my mom, for my grandparents. These gifts I never knew who they were from but I wish I had. I felt so blessed by them. Our church would keep us stocked with groceries during the Christmas season with Love. They would bring food to church and then put it into bags or pots, bringing it all over to fill our sometimes empty cabinets.
If I am ever asked if I believe in Santa, I can honestly say yes. Santa is not just a fat jolly guy with a kick butt beard. Santa is a spirit of giving that people embody to provide happiness to others.
XOXO, Evie
Finding Evie 