I remember like any other kid, it was my favorite holiday. For the most part, it was the only time of the year that I could get what I wanted. My birthday was another one but was not considered a holiday except to me. I didn’t know why others didn’t get with the program. Didn’t they know what an addition I made? Probably not -- LOL. Anyways, back to Christmas....

I would start my list towards the end of November. Being raised in a middle class family as I had been, I realized early that there wasn’t a Santa Claus. My list usually consisted of maybe five things every year. Now if I got all the things on my list, well, then I was doing good. And that depended on what I wanted if I got everything. If a few things were considered pricey, then I would get two out of the five along with whatever else my parents felt I needed. I was good with that and often liked many of the things that I didn’t ask for.

Besides getting the gifts, what I really liked was how my Mother would get in the Christmas spirit. I mean she would really go all out, from the music on the radio to the decorating of the house. My Dad never really got into the holidays but my Mother would make him play his part. His role consisted of going to find a tree and making sure there was plenty of chopped wood for the fireplace. And even though he never decorated the tree, his job was to put the star on it since he was the tallest.

Then, before you know it, after all the sneaking around and searching for presents, it’s Christmas Eve. Since my siblings were older than me, they were usually out with friends at some party. I would be home with my parents. We would eat dinner and watch TV. It was one of the few times I was allowed to stay up late. By then all the presents were under the tree and I was allowed to pick one to open before I went to bed. For some reason, the biggest present could never be opened until Christmas. Every year I would make an effort to open the biggest one, but was always denied.

Finally!!! It was Christmas Day and what seemed to be ritual; I was always the first one awake. I never would wake up my siblings. I would make a beeline straight to my parents’ room. My Mother would be the one I would wake up first and would leave it up to her to wake up everyone else. After everyone was present and accounted for, then we could open our presents. Considering how early I would get everyone up, usually shortly after opening them most of my family would go back to bed.

Those were simpler times and life back then was good. During those times people didn’t stress like they do now about how they are going to afford presents for their families. You didn’t see people strung out on things like crack, robbing people and stores just to get their next high. Family meant something and you saw the bond between loved ones. Now the only time family seems to get together is on a reality or talk show. Where is the love? I remember the song “Give Love on Christmas Day”, I think the Jacksons did it first but was later redone by a group called New Edition. It is sad that people seem to only want to give love on Christmas Day instead of every day. And people seem to only want to give because they think they will get something back or to try to impress someone else. What happened to giving from the heart? Or because it makes YOU feel good as a person? Why has it become so commercial and so cold?