Christmas Memory

I can imagine you all have Christmas memories.

Were they joyful memories filled with sugarplums and family?

When I was in junior high my little family of my mom, sister, and I

were given to a family through the welfare system to bring us gifts.

The day arrived and my mom made sure our little house was neat, tidy

and that we were neat and tidy too. This was important to my mom.

I had bargained with the tree lot guy to buy a tree with my babysitting money

and carried it home. It was a huge pine tree that he said no one wanted.

We made paper chains and decorated it with our meager ornaments.

Our home looked quite festive.

We waited.

The family arrived.

I think the parents were trying to teach their children about poor people.

The children remarked that our house looked better than theirs.

The parents were a bit miffed that we didn't look poor.

 They said as much.

They didn't notice that we had a chair propping up the refrigerator

door, so it wouldn't fall to the floor.

They didn't notice that my mother had her bed in the dining room,

because she made it look like a place to sit with pillows during the day.

They didn't notice the moldy cheese we got from surplus government surplus.

They didn't notice that though our clothes were clean and ironed

they were hand me downs.

They didn't notice that sometimes our church had to help us out

with a food basket or pay our power bill.

Maybe they noticed there was no father in the house, but

they didn't know he didn't send us support.

Needless to say, it taught me some lessons.

Never take what you see as fact, you don't know the story.

Don't look down and criticize those that have less than you.

Show love to each and every person around you.

And when giving give with an open heart,

give a little extra.

After all people that are poor still like a bar of chocolate

or a pretty bouquet.

The pictures are my only childhood Christmas pictures.
They just didn't take many pictures then.
They are from an earlier Christmas with it's own memories.
I am the one with the bow in my hair, the oldest girl grandchild.
My sister is the other one with a bow in her hair.
Yes, my mother always tried her best to keep us looking good.
The others are special cousins.

Give with a happy, loving heart.
Give the gift of JOY. 
Happy weekend, dear friends!