Bah, Humbug!

Everywhere I look, it is getting harder to fool myself: Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming!  But my heart wonders if it will really feel like Christmas this year.

Think of all of the characters that hate Christmas (i.e. The Grinch, Ebeneezer Scrooge).  All of those characters rolled up in one big ball would just begin to describe the EXACT OPPOSITE of my Mema.  So many of my Christmas memories revolve around her.  She always made it special.

When I was a child, Mema worked as the activities director at Oakdale Manor Nursing Home.  I remember going up to the nursing home to help Mema decorate.  As long as she worked there, the residents enjoyed elaborately decorated trees in the dining rooms and lobby areas, each with its own theme.  She also made sure there were lights and Christmas scenes outside.  There was also a Christmas party for the residents, complete with a live performance from the Glenwood Trio.  Oh, and me too.  I would sing for the residents, and it was a highlight of the season for me. 


Mema's own home was always decorated to the hilt.  Complete with tree, fireplace decorations, special placemats, and outdoor lights.  We all gathered at her house for a Christmas Eve celebration.  Everyone tried to be there on Christmas Eve, even if we had to spend Christmas Day somewhere else.  For the past several years, we all would bring a "Mens" or "Ladies" gift, and Mema made us play the "Right Family Game."  Basically, she would read us this story and every time she said "right" we passed the gifts to the right, "left" to the left.  We all rolled our eyes all the way through it, but it was fun.

Oh, and let's not for get about the Church!  She loved to have the church decorated and to have some kind of special Christmas service.  As us kiddos got older, she always gave us an opportunity to think of something creative to do.  Someone would write a play, or a skit, and we'd all make fools of ourselves.


 

And the Carols!  Oh, the Carols! She loved to go caroling.  Whether in the neighborhood or to a retirement center, she loved to go sing the Carols!

And now, she's gone.  I'm happy for her.  She's in the best place to celebrate Jesus' birthday.  But I am having waves of bittersweet emotions.  Last Saturday, Mom, Emily and I went and decorated Mema's tree.  Ok, it's Papa's tree too, but will forever in my mind be hers.  I could hear her voice telling me to turn the light on in the dark living room so I could see.  I cried the whole time.  

Christmas 2010

As hard as it's going to be to celebrate this season with out her, I'll do my best.  I'll put away my "bah, humbug" attitude.  It's what she would want.  This weekend at church is our special Christmas service. We'll sing the carols.  The kids will act out the Christmas story. Emily is playing her flute.  We'll make new memories, but keep the old....one is silver and the other's gold.   Merry Christmas, Mema!!