Christmas Traditions
As we roll full steam ahead into December following on the heels of the one time each year we seem to come together as a nation, with hearts of gratefulness, we have so much for which to be thankful. From the freedoms we enjoy in our great Country, to our family and friends, to the blessings of this beautiful community called Toccoa!
It sure is beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Toccoa! The colors are bright, holiday music, beautifully decorated trees, twinkling lights, carolers singing familiar Christmas songs, Santa’s workshop, gingerbread houses and ice skating in the south! There is a sparkle in the eyes of everyone you see from the youngest to the old and wise. There seems to be something magical about this time of year. But for some it may be harder than you realize.
For those who have fallen on hard times, for those who will not be home with their family because they are deployed in service to our country, for those who will spend the holidays alone because they cannot get home to see family, for those who will spend Christmas without someone that they loved dearly. For some, Christmas may be the most difficult time of the year.
Christmas was always a favorite time for me. I remember growing up and spending Christmas Eve with my daddy’s side of the family. He was one of five and I was the youngest of sixteen grandchildren. Three generations all under one roof. We would gather every year and my Aunt Virginia and Uncle Stroud’s house and exchange gifts and making memories that I still hold dear. On Christmas Day my mama’s family would gather at our house. My Uncle Ty always brought us pecans to shell and my Aunt Kate would make all kinds of sweet treats, cut into bite size servings. One year as the cars were pulling into the driveway, our cat ran straight up the tree! The cat jumped out, the tree tipped over and ornaments went everywhere! It may not have been funny then, at least not to Mama, but it sure brings a smile to my face now.
At the same time, I understand the sadness that comes with losing someone you love dearly and missing them even more during the holidays. You see, it was twenty-one years ago when my precious mama went home to be with Jesus, on a cold and rainy Christmas Eve. It was so unexpected, I didn’t see it coming and I wasn’t ready for her to go. But I found myself left behind with pictures and so many sweet memories of a mama who loved Jesus, loved my daddy and me and served others so well her whole life. Though she is greatly missed, her legacy lives on in the lives of everyone she knew. What I didn’t know then was it would be the very next December when my daddy would join her in heaven. I miss my mama and daddy every day. But I know they are singing with the angels to the Prince of Peace, the One whose birth we celebrate! The One in Whom we find True Hope.
As we find ourselves with Christmas just around the corner, we all have our own perspective of the holiday season. I have always enjoyed decorating the tree, wrapping presents, giving them away and seeing the smiles on the faces of those receiving. I love the wonderful smell of cooking in the kitchen while hearing the laughter of friends and family all around. It makes me happy to see the sparkle in the eyes of our children as we celebrate the season. The wonder of Christmas is in our home!
As we enjoy all the holiday festivities in our small town and beyond, and gather with friends and family, shop local to support our neighbors who have chosen to build their business and invest in our community, decorate the tree, bake cookies, and buy gifts for those we love. May we discover the real reason for the season and look for opportunities to serve and speak hope into the lives of those around us.
Merry Christmas.