When I was young, I remember the eager anticipation of Christmas Eve and then, excitedly waking before the adults and running into the living room to peer at the presents under the brilliantly lit tree. “Santa” didn’t wrap all the presents so there were a variety of gifts out on display.
A fun photograph from Christmas past is of my brothers and me playing amongst the debris of Christmas wrapping paper and presents. I am about 11 with long hair topped with a flannel granny night cap, wearing a matching granny gown and house shoes, a holster and toy gun and sitting astride a big blue bicycle. The only daughter and granddaughter, I enjoyed playing with the boys but also still was given “feminine” gifts as well.
When we finished at home, we loaded all the gifts because my brothers and I were determined we had to show our grandparents all of our gifts, and headed to Grandmother’s and Granddaddy’s house which was not far away. There, we did it all over again. My two aunts were much younger than my mother and were more like big sisters, so they were usually there. My grandfather took out the moving picture camera complete with light bar and horribly bright lights and filmed the event much to my aunts’ chagrin. They were usually still in their gowns and had hair rollers in their hair.
Throughout the years, my granddaddy liked to erect the film screen and get out the projector, turn off all the lights in the den and have family movie times showing his handiwork. We even have film of my mother coming home from the hospital with me right after my birth. There are films of my great-grandparents who couldn’t fathom that they didn’t have to standstill for the camera.
A funny family story is told of one of my aunts who was quite dismayed while standing beneath the flocked Christmas tree adorned in pink and surrounded with presents. She cried “I don’t have any presents!” because her gifts were not gift-wrapped.
My grandparents’ Christmas tree was always flocked white and decorated with satin-pink glass ornaments. The stockings were custom made pink felt with white lettering - one each for my grandfather, grandmother and their three daughters (my mother the eldest of them). The gifts were wrapped in a heavy pink satin gift wrap that Granddaddy had purchased in bulk for his shop. I still can’t see thatcolor without thinking of them.
The Christmas season is busy, full of hurrying and preparations for gift giving, feasting, family get-togethers and travel for some. But, for some, it’s a time of loneliness. It may be the first Christmas without a loved one who died this year. Many people still work during the holiday season, especially emergency personnel - EMTs, firefighters, law enforcement officers (police,deputies and troopers), hospital workers.
The days after Christmas, especially when returning to work, it is easy to complain or feel discouraged. But, our attitude is influenced by our focus. If we focus on the good, on the things received (even those things that didn’t come wrapped beneath the tree like good health and family), we’ll have a better attitude.
Scripture admonishes us: “Do all things without murmurings and disputings,” Philippians 2:14 (KJV). Those words murmurings and disputings are also translated complaining and arguing, protests and arguments. I was taught that if one didn’t have a solution, there was no point complaining about the problem.
So, this year, instead of complaining, let’s find the good in everything.
Annette Beard is the managing editor of The Times of Northeast Benton County, chosen the best small weekly newspaper in Arkansas three years in a row. A native of Louisiana, she moved to northwest Arkansas in 1980 to work for the Benton County Daily Record. She has nine children, four sons-in-law, four grandsons, a granddaughter and another on the way. She can be reached at [email protected].
Opinion, Pages 4 on 01/02/2013