| When I was about 8 years old, my family was facing some real hard times out on the farm.
My dad had taken sick and he couldn't work. We didn't have much money, and me being the youngest of 7 kids, I guess I couldn't understand a lot of things. My papa laid in his bed on Christmas Eve, and he told my Mom, that no matter what, the kids has got to have a Christmas, some kind of Christmas. My Mom said "I know." He didn't know what he was going to do, but old Mom always knew what to do. That night after we all went to bed, and went to sleep, Christmas Eve night, Mom went out to the fount yard, and she prayed. Then it came to her, what she was surpose to do. Mom went over to a big oak tree that stood right out side the familles living room, in that little 4 room house. Mom cut a limb off that old oak tree, just a small limb, then she took it inside that old farm house & place down in the wash tub and some rocks around it to help hold it up. Mom then went and got her leaded table cloth, the one her grandmother gave her a long time ago. The one she never used, the one she cherished so much. When Mom brought that table cloth in, she wrapped it around that little limb. The she went into her kitchen, and she started baking, Mom spent all night baking in that kitchen. The next morning, us kids woke up and the we ran to the living room, but we knew that Santa clause didn't come during the night, but then we seen it. That little oak branch was decorated in Christmas lights, and tinsel that Mom made. Under that Lil oak branch was all kind of sugar cookies and shortening cookies, the kind of cookies you make when you don't have much. Mom spent all night baking our Christmas presents. Some would say that it wasn't much of a Christmas, but it was a Christmas I have never forgotten. So every Christmas, I take a branch out of that old oak tree and I place it in my living room, and then I place upon it home made decoration and at the bottom of the oak branch, place home made sugar cookies and it looks beautiful. The I tell my kids & grand kids, about that Christmas morning and the love I felt. Daddy, Mom & use kids never had much but Moma & daddy wanted to give us everything. But instead they gave us what they could, which is probably the most I have ever had in my life, they gave and taught us the true meaning of love, the true meaning of Christmas. The Oak Tree Branch, is my chose of Christmas trees. Merry Christmas and this year and every year, give the gift that keeps on giving .. That gift is Love. |