One of my very favorite things to do at Christmastime, when the house was quiet and everyone was bedded down but me, was to sit in the soft glow of the living room and enjoy our lighted Christmas tree, There seem to be inspiration from the lighted tree that brought memories I wouldn’t ever want to erase,
Our very first Christmas on the farm was six months after our marriage in June. My first present from my husband was wrapped in a gunny sack, a coarsely woven brown bag to haul grain around for those of you not raised on a farm. Our farming operation that year was of very meager returns, because it had rained during planting time and we found ourselves planting our crops in June after our wedding day, which is unheard of to a Hoosier farmer. However, my husband had manage to buy a rather expensive food mixer for our kitchen, explaining he had never wrapped presents and this wrapping would have to do. That was the introduction to the aesthetic sense of my husband, but it certainly lighted up my Christmas, for I never expected such a gift with our meager income.
My next memory came a few years later. It was of footsteps on the stairway in the early hours of the morning. Yes, it would be our two little ones checking to see if Santa had arrived yet and we had best be ready for the squeals of delight when they discovered their special gift under the tree, The excitement and delight on our two little ones faces was all we needed to make our efforts worthwhile.

One year, the Sunday School class of 8,9 and 10 year olds of which I happened to teach, devised a plan to save, pennies, nickles and dime each Sunday for our offering to purchase an outdoor nativity scene to set in the yard of of our little country church, just down the road from our house. We barely had enough for Joseph and Mary, and Baby Jesus, the first year, with my husband building a stable out of old barn wood, that fit the scene perfectly
In later years, shepherds and animals joined the scene as the children collected coins, We, as a group were happy each year to set up our offering for the community as they passed to view the lighted scene of the very first Christmas.
As the years past our family grew to take in a son-in-law and daughter-in-law and Christmases were sure to change. Some time after we acquired our daughter-in-law, she had to undergo a very serious spinal surgery. She after that, was determined to include angels on her tree, for she knew she was protected by angels during her very delicate operation.
So including angels on our tree was a remembrance of her successful surgery as well.

Our situation has changed even more through the years. Today we are no longer on the farm but have moved to the island of Hawaii for the winters, but I still sit by my lighted tree in the evening remembering,
My memories now include grandchildren and great-grandchildren and that’s still another delightful story. Next year there will be even more memories to record, for day by day we experience the gift of life, loved ones and treasure of many factions that come our way. Let’s be ready to receive them with thankful heart remembering the precious Gift that Christmas brought many years ago.