by Paul Big Bear
Christmas morning with all of its magic, as a child what, upon arising, did you look for? I ran to my bedroom window looking for snow, then my slippers and went to sit at the top of the stairs waiting to go see what Santa left. Finally my sisters would join me and mom and dad would come out of their bedroom, “Go brush your teeth and wash your faces.” While we pushed and shoved to be first to brush and wash mom and dad would go down stairs and soon we would come down according to height, tallest last. Dad would take a picture of us as we came down to the beauty of our lighted Christmas tree. Our eyes scanned the base of the tree for our gifts; we sat on the floor to open our packages one by one, the attached card was read, to and from, wrapping paper was removed carefully, bows and ribbon too.
The box was opened and the gift was finally ready to be played with. This process was repeated until all gifts were opened and wrapping material was in a large box for another day. As mom went into the kitchen to prepare Christmas breakfast the stockings, hung by the chimney with care were emptied. I always looked for a large orange among the rest of my stocking stuffers. Dad took pictures of the unwrapping glee. Next we gathered at the kitchen table for our Christmas breakfast, eggs (any way we wanted them) with home fried potatoes, bacon, and buttered toast with jelly, chocolate milk and orange juice. After breakfast we went upstairs to dress and go show off our Christmas gifts. Us guys met to show off our new cap guns, mine was the Rebels sawed off double barreled shotgun, Bob the double holster and guns of the Lone Ranger, Pete showed off his quick draw holster and six gun and we were set. We killed off the bad guys and our supply of roll caps in short time, now resorting to the old standby verbal “Bang – bang”. Snow was shaped into sticks of dynamite to blast the bad guys out of their hide out. It was such a magical time. Until it was time to change and go to dinner at grandma’s house and more presents.
Oh how times have changed, grandchildren no longer look out their window for snow, they check their cell phone for the weeks weather. They call friends and make plans. Later they show off the new games they have on their phones as they play these games from their respective homes. The tree is beautiful, the house is decorated as Ginny and I drink our morning coffee and exchange our cards and gifts, I get a glass of cold milk with my Christmas donuts. We check our phones for our “Merry Christmas” messages from friends and family, plans are made to exchange gifts or meet for a breakfast and find out what school or work is like this year. No longer is the air filled with the scent of fired roll caps, I cannot remember the last snowman that stood guard in front of our home, and now that the young man next store has gone away to school I suspect that unless I shovel whatever snowfall we are graced with I won’t be awakened by the sound of a metal snow shovel clearing the side walk. Ginny and I will still hold hands and enjoy our Christmas dinner, soup, salad, entre, and dessert and ask for a take away box for what she can’t finish. I wish Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas to our friends, perhaps we will see you at the “All you can eat Salad Bar.”