"Run, Don't Walk"...by Jim Terry

Just last month my brother, Ryan, posted a wonderful tribute to my sister Lora for her birthday on our “secret” family page. It not only included a paragraph filled with sweet sentiments of memories past regarding why she is so special to him and to our family but also included a photo. It was a photo of when she was young. The photo also included my sister Angie and myself. Since I was so young in this photograph, I had to ask my mother, before she passed, what the occasion was. Apparently, it was taken during the Christmas season when my sister, Lora, got her favorite racecar she always wanted. As you can see in the image, she is also sporting her favorite crash helmet at the time. It also portrays the oldest sister’s love for her younger siblings and expresses some pretty happy and content kids. As I continued to look at that photo, it also brought up some great memories of Christmas’ past.

One of the first things I remembered from my past Christmas’ was the anticipation of Christmas morning. Didn’t time seem to just entirely slow down or stop on Christmas Eve when we were young? Oh, how I wished I could speed time up for that next morning to arrive. Seconds turned into hours and hours turned into eternity during that night.  I recognized it was a bad situation for me when I would outlast the constellations.  What are the constellations you might ask?  Well, as a young boy, I also wanted to be an astronaut and had those plastic glow-in-the-dark stars that were carefully placed on the ceiling in my bedroom to resemble the heavens above. Once the light was turned off, they generally would glow for about an hour. I rarely remember not falling to sleep before they would stop glowing. However, on Christmas Eve, I recollect having to turn on my light two or three times during that night in order to recharge my stars so that they might glow once again until I would finally have “visions of sugar plums" dancing in my head.

You know that old rule, “walk, don’t run?” Well when the next morning would arrive, I remember my siblings and myself, never walking, always running to see what Santa had delivered in the wee hours of the morning. I can picture it now as we entered the living room. 

First, there was always the lingering faint smell of cinnamon and apple potpourri in the air that had been simmering on the stove from the night before. The peaceful radiance from the lights on the carefully decorated Christmas tree, that we all decorated together as a family, helped with the ambiance of the setting that we would experience. The stockings that were hung by the “chimney with care” were now filled and carefully placed next to the other items that Santa had brought us regardless if we were “naughty or nice.” The faint flickering light from the fire being lit and the warmth it provided…The beautifully wrapped gifts to each other under the tree…The fun…The laughter…The Joy…The happiness…(sigh).

From Left to Right...Jim, Lora and Angie ~1971

If I could go back in time and witness this again, even if it might be with the Ghost of Christmas Past, I would do it. This time though, I know my attention would be directed differently. Instead of focusing on the gifts I would receive from Santa, I would now focus on and notice the reaction of my father who had worked so hard to provide for his family. I would also focus on my mother, who wrapped, sewed, cleaned, cooked and made everything so special during the holiday season.  I would also direct my attention to my grandmother Hattie, who, in her quiet demeanor, would sit in the corner experiencing the joy of the younger generation's delight until it was her turn to open her gifts. And lastly, I would also focus on my siblings so that I might experience and relive the joy and happiness that we all had together knowing we were family.

As they say, "time flies," and since Christmas is here and you still have time to get off of Santa’s “naughty list” for next year, I would recommend being bad and breaking that old rule I mentioned before.  My Christmas wish for you...“RUN, DON’T WALK," to be by your family’s side or by those you care about so that you can make those memories that will last a lifetime.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

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