December 18, 2015

Christmas Memories

The coldest, warmest Christmas and what made it so special

By Nellie Thompson

I don’t even recall the exact year anymore, but there was something special about that Christmas.

The memories come back so easily. Back to the Christmas that my family and I still talk about to this day. Back to the Christmas that was so cold I can still feel the hem of my long, heavy winter coat cutting into the backs of my legs; my hands still cold even though I was wearing gloves; the wind bitter cold stinging my face; the three generations of us packed into my brother’s big passenger van all talking and laughing as we headed to Christmas Eve Mass at Sacred Heart Church. I’m not sure the van ever got warm!

Even now, I can almost feel the welcome warmth as we returned home from church and opened the front door to come in from the cold.

My mom had the dining room table ready and all set. In the center of the table was the centerpiece my brother had bought for her years before. Every year, she put that centerpiece out.

In a while, a wonderful aroma would come from the kitchen, and we all knew it was Mom’s homemade spaghetti sauce she had cooked for hours, along with the meatballs prepared earlier now being reheated as she started to boil the water to cook loads of spaghetti.

This was always our Christmas Eve meal. Sometimes, I would think it strange that our meal would be Italian fare on Christmas Eve, but it made perfect sense since my Mom was Italian.

I don’t recall the gifts I received that Christmas, the material ones that is, but what I do remember is the gift of the love of family and sharing time with them; the gift of faith; the gift of peace and the gift of wonderful memories that have lingered all these years.

My parents have since sold their home, and they both spend Christmas in heaven now.

As for me, I’ll spend Christmas remembering how the coldest Christmas was the warmest Christmas, and will remain that way for me always.
 

(Nellie Thompson is a member of St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis.) †

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