Christmas Memories

                                       CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

         Everything was ready.  The tree was decorated, and the presents in place underneath.  Mia knew that big box had a doll in it!  She wiggled in anticipation of opening that box tomorrow morning!

         The little ones had been packed off to bed and Mia suddenly realized she had achieved big-girl status since she was being allowed to sit up and have cocoa and popcorn with the grownups. "After all I am almost eight."

         Grandpa took his favorite book and opened it.  Mia knew Grandpa couldn’t read without his glasses so he must know this part by heart.  "And there were in the same country shepherds --"

She knew it by heart, too. 

         When he had finished reading from the Bible he looked up and repeated, “Glory to God in the Highest! Peace on earth good will to all men.”   

         Mia wanted to stay up longer and she wanted a story from Grandpa.  So she asked, “Tell me again about when you were my age.”

         Mia’s mother interrupted.  “Oh, Daddy!  Are you going to tell her one of your yarns?”

         He defended.  “This isn’t a yarn this really happened.  My father, that’s your great grandfather, was far away in another country fighting in a war.  We didn’t see how we could have a Christmas without him.  My mother, that’s your great grandmother, was working in a factory where they sewed parachutes.  She worked every night while we were sleeping and my grandmother, that’s your great-great, watched over us.  We had a little flag in the window with a blue star on it.  That’s what they did in those days when someone who lived in that house was a soldier in the war.  The star was for my Dad.

         “We put up the tree and put the decorations on it, some of the same ones on this tree from the old box.  We took a picture of the tree to send to Dad.  In those days we didn’t have phones that took pictures.  We had a thing called a tripod and a flash gun so there would be enough light for a picture.  You saw my old camera.”

         Mia smiled and nodded.

         “We had cocoa and cookies.  My mom saved enough sugar from our ration to make cookies.”

         “Ration?”

         “Yes.  Because of the war there weren’t enough of some things to go around so the government gave us ration books with little stamps to tear out and give at the store. That way everybody got a share.”

         Grandpa went on with his story.

         “Dad wasn’t there to read the Bible story so Mom read it.  Then we all prayed for Dad to be safe and come home soon.”

         Mia remembered the rest of that story.  “But he didn’t,” she whispered.

         Grandpa sighed and after a moment he said, “No he didn’t.”

         “Why do we have war when the Bible says Peace on Earth?”

         “If I could answer that I’d be the smartest man who ever lived,” said Grandpa.  “Now I think my big girl is getting sleepy and time to go to bed.”

         Mia kissed Grandpa on his tickly beard and then kissed her mom.  Then she gave a kiss into the air.  “Good night, Daddy,” she whispered.  “Come home safe!”





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