I love what the Christmas season use to mean. Decorations and parties that didn't appear until December. Caroling for neighbors followed by hot chocolate and donuts. Watching "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "The Little Drummer Boy" because it was the only time you could see them.
Here in Nashville a trip downtown to see the window displays at Harvey's and Cain Sloan. And of course a trip to see Santa and share my wish list (which had been made using the Sears & Roebuck Christmas catalog).
Gifts that were picked out with love and a personal interest in what each individual might need or really, really want. There were no gift cards and we never returned gifts because that would be ungrateful.
I don't know maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic and maybe I have convenient memories of the way things used to be. After all I do remember our inflatable Rudolph melting on the spinning wheel of color that spot lighted our aluminum Christmas tree.
But I still miss paper chains, and popcorn and cranberries strung to hang on the tree. And oranges covered in cloves and strung from ribbons.
What I really want this Christmas is peace and quiet; love and understanding; kindness and compassion; and peace on earth.
That's not asking too much is it?
