Soft in the Head

WHAT CHRISTMAS MEANS TO ME.....

As time seems to fly by I spend many hours remembering all the Christmas' that have gone by. Like so many of you, there are some memories that leave a deeper imprint than others. One for me in particular is.....

Christmas was always a magical time for me as a kid, even in Los Angeles. I remember shopping for a tree with my dad, who was always very picky about his tree, it had to be a noble fir . I remember the smells in the tree lot and hiding from my brother David among my dearest friends, the trees. I use to think if I was still and quiet enough that the trees would whisper and tell me which one wanted to come home with me. I loved the crispness of the air and the strings of lights hanging over-head. It always seemed that we would go out tree shopping the same night that "Peter Pan" with Mary Martin was making its annual appearance on television. We would rush home to pop the corn and park our bodies in front of the television, first watching the Red Skelton special or Bob Hope and then it would be two hours of magic. I would hear mom in the kitchen beating up a bowl of powdered laundry detergent into peaks of thick mountains of snow for the tree. Dad would be busy stringing the "C-7 " blue lights, wrapping each branch carefully before he took the soft fluffy mixture from mom and begin the traditional spreading of snow on each branch. Once the snow harden he would hang the glass ornaments and painstakingly apply each strand of tinsel on the branches. This was a work of art to him and done with care and precision. When the tree was finished Dad would turn out all the house lights so all we had was the beauty and enchantment of the blue shimmer of the tree. I remember lying underneath the tree and looking up with visions of "fairyland" running through my brain. I remember it all with a tear and a smile!

As I became a parent I was able to create memories of magic for our own kids. They too hear the trees whisper! They will also remember Kentucky Fried Chicken ( a whole other story), Christmas Lists, deep baritone Ho,Ho, Ho's and going to bed to "The Night before Christmas" being read by their father and waking up to Nat King Cole and the smell of fresh coffee and cinnamon rolls every Christmas morning. The search for the coveted Christmas stocking, stockings are a BIG tradition, yielding anything from a candy cane to a CD player. Even to this day the thought of Christmas morning sparks grins of stocking anticipation and a hunger for cinnamon! Memories of Christmas are bittersweet for me. I miss my family so much. We were a close lot, built of a whole lot of love. I am proud of who my children have become. It goes beyond jobs, education or position in life, it's about who they are, good people! They each, in their own way, have accomplished much in their lives but it's the small deeds they do everyday without thinking, pulling out a chair for someone who needs it more, a caring ear, support and encouragement to a friend or remembering the names of all the people in the room not just the ones that expect it, that makes the magic continue....thanks Santa! Here's to all of us having the "Bestest" Christmas ever this year and continuing the magic......