by Christa Allan
Okay, everyone think
of a favorite Christmas memory. Go write it down. Now. Yes, now or you will
surely forget it.
Write it on paper,
not on your hand or the unpaid bill lurking near the keyboard.
Write every detail
you can remember, every smell--even it's the clashing aromas of seafood gumbo on the stove and pine-scented
candles burning on the kitchen table—every touch of someone's hand on your
shoulder, every tinkling bell, I'll wait for you to return.
This is me
waiting………….
You promise you’ve
captured it, right?
Christmas, 1999. The
picture I have of the evening is one of my most cherished ones. That was the
year of the "Charlie Brown" tree that my younger son John, who was
fourteen at the time, and I had chopped down on our land. We lived on eight
acres, seven of which were overgrown with towering pines and scrawny bushes and
assorted wildness. We found a pine tree wannabe. We dragged it into the house,
creating a trailing mess of needles, bark, and oozing sap. I loved every pain
of it. And I think the tree loved it as well. After we decorated, I’m certain I
caught a glimpse of it smiling for having been chosen.
We're all in front of
the fireplace, except for Michael, my oldest. He was in the Navy and stationed
in Italy. Ken, me, John, Shannon, Erin pregnant with Bailey, Andrae, John my
brother, his partner Rick, Sarah. My Jewish husband, my African-American
son-in-law, my gay brother, my daughter with Down’s Syndrome. We look like a
politically correct Christmas card.
We are happy. And that was
everything.
So, now it's your turn to share your favorite Christmas memory.
Christa Allan is the author of Walking on Broken Glass, The Edge of Grace, and Love Finds You in New Orleans. Her next novel, Threads of Hope, will release in March of 2013. She and her husband live in New Orleans where they're learning how to take care of a home that's older than their combined ages. When she's not filling her trunk, doing "weed the garden" therapy or baking cheesecakes, Christa teaches high school English. She hopes to retire soon. Very soon. You can find Christa at Twitter (ChristaAllan), Facebook, and www.christaallan.com
I apologize for thee quality of the photo but you get the picture...and I searched for a photo of the tree, but it’s probably
hiding out with the gold hoop earring I can’t find. If it does turn itself in, I’ll be sure to
post it.)
