I have always loved Christmas and everything about it. Growing up we didn’t have a lot of things and very little money. Mom raised the last five of her eight kids by herself, even after becoming disabled from working two jobs to support us.
Many of our gifts came from the secondhand stores and a few little things we could purchase for a dollar (per kid) at Kress’ Five and Dime Store. I love that old two-story building and a basement in downtown Stockton, California with its vast amounts of rich real wood paneling and polished staircases. The decorated city buses were all free to ride for shopping and blared Christmas music from speaker horns mounted on their tops.
We had an old, used artificial tree that was decorated with handmade items and a few bulbs and lights that mom picked up at Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul’s and the Salvation Army. We made popcorn garland, paper chain garland, tinsel made from strips of aluminum foil, and of course mom’s favorite “angel hair” made of spun glass. With all of those decorations it looked like a real tree.
On Christmas Eve, we would have Lipton Tea with little homemade cookies, watch Christmas movies on our little Black & White TV, and stay up until midnight. When it officially became Christmas mom would let us open our gifts.
There are so many stories I could tell you about those times, but what stands out in my mind is that mom loved us, she kept our family together, she took care of us, she sacrificed for us, and did everything she could possibly do to make our Christmas the best ever.
Plus, most of all, she always let us know that the reason we celebrate Christmas is because Jesus Christ left His home in Heaven and came down to this Earth, as a little baby, so that one day he could redeem us from the power of sin and death. Through mom’s sacrifice for us, we learned of Christ’s sacrifice for us and His great gift of Eternal Life.
Thank you, Mama for your love and gift of Life, and thank you Jesus for your gift of Eternal Life.
Merry Christmas, I Love You Mom, See You In Heaven Some Day,
Love, Chuck
The picture of Mom (B. Ellen Jones Seielstad Feemster) is from the early 1940's.
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