I have heard this line so often this month: "Where has the year gone"?
It feels like I just took down the Christmas tree, and just a few weeks ago, I was digging it back out again.
Christmas has always been my favourite time of the year. It is a time to spend with family and friends, to make memories that last a lifetime. When I think back on my childhood, the memories are so sweet, especially with my mom. She always made Christmas a time to remember.
Christmases were simple and not a lot of money was spent. My sister and I each had a doll, and mom, being an excellent seamstress, made a box full of clothes for those dolls. Dad made us doll beds, and mom made bedding for that bed. It was such fun and I remember it like yesterday.
The best Christmas gifts were the handmade things that mom created, and she made a great deal of our things, such as knitted sweaters, socks, and mitts. To this day, I still have a small sweater and skirt that she made for my daughter at Christmas, as well as a tiny little purse. At times we go through our keepsake box and smile because it is such a wonderful memory.
My dad and I did not get along well, but I do have special memories of him. I longed to have a horse, and one Christmas as a 10-year-old, dad gave me his yearling filly. It was the beginning of my horse-training years and something I will never forget.
When my kids were little, I did the same for my daughter. I made her a box full of doll clothes and to this day, she still has them.
Gifts do not need to be expensive, and I love it when I get something that is homemade, whether it is baked, beaded or wooden. That person took the time to make it for me and that is special.
As I grew older, getting a gift was still nice, but it was more important to me to spend time with family and friends.
Our family here is small, as everyone else lives out of province. It is important for me to make memories with my adult kids, as for me the memories I have of my mom as an adult are cherished.
Mom passed away three years ago on Dec. 19, and although she lived a good life, like so many will say, because she was 96 years old, I wish she was still here. Because she lived in Ontario, I called every Christmas, and although near the end she was deaf and could not hear me, I could still hear her voice.
Making memories is far more important than anything else. Spending time together with your family is number 1, because one day, before you know it, they will be gone. At times it can be difficult to make memories with family that do not want to, but all you can do is try your best.
In the past year, so many loved ones have gone, some have been so young and others much older, but if it was a person that was important to you, the pain can be the same.
Christmas is a time that can be stressful for so many people because of financial issues, the loss of a job or family being far apart. Maybe you are battling health issues.
Make the best of it. Make Christmas fun, not with all the spending, but the making of memories. Something that will be talked about for years to come. I have plans for some special games at our house, and I am sure they will be talked about for years.
These are the memories I want my family to have, that they always had a fun and family-filled Christmas.
