Recapture that special Christmas

Think back to a Christmas that evokes happy memories and feelings. For many, this task brings images of a Christmas during childhood. For others, it may be a time of adolescence or adulthood. Most of us, however, have one Christmas that stands out as a time of joy, peace and happiness. I would like to share with you one of those times.

Many years ago my wife, two young sons and I were to visit relatives in a small rural area of Central Oklahoma. As we traveled north in our station wagon late in the afternoon of Christmas Eve we encountered snowflurries. They became much heavier as we crossed the Red River into Oklahoma. By the time we reached my in-law’s home it was nightfall and the fallen snow was quite deep.

The children had rarely seen so much snow and became excited about having a white Christmas. After a large family gathering and a midnight candlelight service at a local church, we headed for a small cabin a few miles out in the countryside. The roads were somewhat hazardous at this point and the trip there was slow and anxiety provoking. As we rounded the last turn we saw the first lights from the cabin windows reflecting on the snow. There it was, nestled in a hollow, surrounded by cedar trees, with curling smoke rising from the chimney into the sky.

Feelings of a storybook Christmas began. The owners of the cabin had thoughtfully left it well-stocked with provisions for our stay and after we got inside we sipped hot cider and hot chocolate while stretching in front of the fireplace.

It was a magical and imaginative moment for the children, too, as each small noise outside produced visions of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the possibility that Santa was arriving from the North Pole. The warmth of being together in this beautiful setting remains vivid for all four of us.

It snowed all night and by the time we awoke on Christmas morning the drifts were so high that all the roads were closed. Since we could not go into town for the Christmas tree present exchange at the appointed time, we found some pieces of cardboard and made makeshift sleds. Sliding down the small inclines provided a morning of fun and a novel experience for all of us.

Several small animals had left tracks around the cabin during the night. The two boys conjured up thoughts of mountain lions or even larger prey watching us. With no telephone, no television and a feeling of being one family all alone yet all together, we had a snowball fight, mixed homemade snow ice cream and made a snow castle – all treasured memories of this Christmas morning many years ago. The four of us built a snowman that proudly stood erect as we waved goodbye to our cabin home.

By mid-afternoon the roads cleared, and we went into town to join our families, doing so with great enthusiasm and even then a realization that the opportunity to share these few hours were ones we would never forget.

Surely you, too, can recapture the feelings and emotions of a happy Christmas in your past. Share your memories with those around you.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright 1989