I would imagine I'm not alone when I say that this time of the year makes me a little nostalgic for my childhood.
My parents always made sure we had piles of gifts on Christmas morning. They must have shopped and hidden things away all year. The funny thing is, I don't have a single one of those gifts anymore. What I do have is memories.
I remember Mama playing the piano and singing at the nursing home while my brother, sister and I passed out candy canes and homemade cards to grandparents that weren't our own. I remember the ever changing stream of strangers that sat around our family dinner table for homecooked meals and an incredible array of fresh baked goodies that would put Betty Crocker to shame. I remember the smile on Daddy's face as he shook hands and hugged the necks of strangers while he passed out coats and blankets on street corners. I remember the smell of homemade chili and hot coffee served under bridges from a make shift kitchen in a converted school bus. I remember sorting through mountains of donated clothes with Mama and how much care she took sifting through the baby clothes to find several coordinating pieces that she would neatly fold and put in clear bags with a size written on it. "Every mama deserves something nice for their baby", she would say. The older I get, the more I recognize and appreciate the grace and dignity my parents offered to everyone they served. They weren't perfect parents or perfect people, but they taught us to serve, to care, and to give.
I hope this holiday season gives each of you the opportunity to create memories to treasure.