Corky is a distant cousin, I have never met her in person....only through her emails and letters. She is not young in body but is young in spirit and her outlook on the world is wonderful. This is her 2010 Christmas letter and I'd like to share it with you.
Dear folks,
Christmas is almost here and as usual It conjures up feelings, and memories that are different from any other time of the year. To me I feel excitement, a feeling of eagerness, and expectation, yet for some reason I feel a quietness, a silence, and a feeling of peace and Love surround me as I go into a dim corner, and sit quietly in my rocker and mentally think of the day we celebrate as Christmas, the Day the, Christ Child our Savior was born.
I was a Child of the Great Depression. In those days we looked forward to Christmas in great excitement even though we knew Christmas would be mighty slim. In everyday life, we seldom had fruit, but on Christmas Eve. the fireman gave away oranges, apples, and sometimes other things such as nuts and sometimes candy canes. we'd pull our little red wagon that was about worn out, but would still roll along, and wait in line for our turn. We loved those firemen.
I could seldom sleep on Christmas Eve, It was the same feeling I get now before I leave on a long flight across the world. I just can't sleep and don't know why. Christmas Eve was the longest night of the year. I waited in agony for the break of day, and as soon as the sun rose over the horizon, sending it's pale glow into my window, I was up and in the Living room, where our small tree, trimmed with hand strung Popcorn and small paper ornaments we had made in school stood rather crookedly , but was fresh and smelled like the pine scent of the woods. It was beautiful to us. Remember Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder.
As a rule my parents managed to have at least one small gift for each of us. As a parent now I know why I heard my Mother crying one night, and as I slipped out of bed, I saw my Dad patting her on the back, I wondered what was wrong, Now I know, Times were so bad and she couldn't get the things for her babies that she would have liked to have given to them.
I sat and pondered over past Christmas's, I thought about the day the Savior was born, How Mary and Joseph must have felt. How the pressure upon them that day and night had to be frightening, the Baby soon to be born and no place to have a dry and private area for her to bring The "Savior," into the world. How grateful they had to be for the Stall and the bed of sweet Smelling hay to lay the," King of Kings," on as they wrapped him in Swaddling cloths and gazed into his glowing face. I though how unaware of the blessings we were given, even in the bad times when we had no money, and food was hard to come by. No matter if we have gifts, money, or fancy food, the gift of the Savior was the Greatest Gift anyone has ever been given.
On this day, I want to feel the hugs of my family, I think of the days when I was young and it was no problem cooking a 25 pound turkey for Christmas dinner, (I had Ralph wrestle that big bugger around) HA. I had to fix Yankee Dressing and Southern. His had toasted bread, and mine had Corn Bread. My Children hung their stockings on the mantel, and although we didn't get the fruit and nuts from the firehouse any more they had their stockings bulging with small present's and nuts,
Ralph and I would sit up after the children were in bed, we would drink homemade Egg Nog, listened to Christmas music, and cuddled together on the couch. If we had money, he would buy me a piece of Costume Jewelry, but as a rule the money went to the Children's Christmas. I look back into my memories and see all of them as plain as day, How I love the gift of memories, and thank the," Lord," for the gift of family, and of all the great times I have been given to remember them in my life. How grateful I am for Randy, My son who gives me pleasure to see and visit these days.
I do hope y'all are building memories and making dreams come true, that no matter if you have Yankee dressing, or Southern, or both, if it is served with gravy, and LOVE, You have it made.
So gather your family, make the memories, Love one another, and remember, Christmas is the time to give gifts, but the reason for it is to remember it is in memory of the gifts the wise Men brought to the one born on this day in a Manger in Bethlehem, the,"Christ Child ,"who was born to be our Savior and Redeemer .
I wish y'all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, I for one am grateful for the gift of another year to be able to write to you , build memories with each one of you. I want you to know how grateful I am to all of you, for being the wonderful, and kind friends and family to me that you are, and for this wonderful Life, even for the hard test we often have to overcome, because after the Storm, the Sun does cast her warm and beautiful rays all around us once more. Life is wonderful even with the bumps we often stubble over.
Until we meet again next Christmas, I leave you my, Love and I Hope Y'all will have, Good Health, a Job, and lots of happiness in your family life.
Love to you all, Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Corky
Corky's 2010 Christmas Letter
