My husband went to get the “special package” from my oldest son who picked the “special package” up at the airport and transported the “special package” halfway to our house and my husband and my oldest made the transfer of the “special package” without incident. Tee Hee! We have our own movie series of the “Transporter”!! All that said, the “special package” made it home and I hugged my youngest and "Navy Chief" son at about 1:30 a.m. this morning and we all went to bed!!!
So here we are – Christmas Eve. Years ago when we lived on our 30-acre farm in Kentucky and our sons, at the time, were probably about 5 and 7, we were trying to figure some other ways to explain what Christmas was really all about.
We loved Santa Claus, I realize many do not, though we have always tried to be very careful with Santa. He was a fun, imaginative way to help show our very young sons the idea of giving unselfishly and giving without expecting anything back. -Giving from the heart- We tried to never replace the true meaning of Christmas. Santa was more of a pleasant tool. I suppose it is odd to say but even though the boys believed that Santa was real for a very long time – they never seemed to have any trouble making the transition from Santa being real to not being real and never, ever seemed to get the whole thing mixed up with the Christ Child and the true meaning. I supposed we maybe were simply blessed in this matter. I don’t know. Chances are we still believe!
Anyway, on this one particular night my husband and I decided to bundle up the boys and take them down over the hill to our huge old tobacco barn. It was a clear and starry night, crisp and very cold. There was no snow on the ground this particular eve but there was a beautiful moon in the sky. We took the boys out back of the barn where the manger of hay was for the horses. The horses were off in the field down by the old pond that lay beneath the shag-bark hickory. We stood there and looked up at the sky and my husband told the boys the story of the greatest miracle of all. From the angels praising God, the star, the shepherds on the hillside and to their journey to see the Christ child lying in a manger with his Mother, Mary, and Joseph and all the animals. We let the boys look at the hillside and they smelled the hay and felt the night. It was quiet!
We went back up the hill and they got their jammies on and as I always did, I recited Twas the Night Before Christmas. The boys laid out their stockings, they said their prayers and we tucked them into bed.
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads.
And Mama in her ‘kerchief and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap.
When . . . . . . . .
Whoa!!!!!! Did you hear that? Something on the rooftop!!!
Oh my – it IS late – goodness . . . bells!!!!
Sorry friends – I’m jumpin’ into bed and coverin’ up my head.
CHRISTMAS IS TOMORROW!!!!!