Let the Christmas week countdown begin!
It's sort of crazy, though. One week from now, the gifts will be opened and the meals will be over. We'll begin the Christmas cleanup process and will be forced back into our normal routines. We'll just have a few extra pounds and some memories when December 26 rolls around. ♥
Christmas memories...we all have them! Some good. Some bad. No matter the memory, I want to be more intentional about asking my family and friends to share these memories with me. It opens a little window into their past and, oftentimes, speaks to what is most important to them or how they were impacted by these experiences.
In case you didn't already know, there are two co-owners and contributors here at Cottonwood Limited (Laura and Heather). A unique "get to know us" fact is that there is a 30-year age gap between us. It's so interesting how our age difference allows us to bring different perspectives and experiences to the table, and we are so much better for it! As we have talked about our own favorite Christmas memories this week, we realized how our memories share common themes, how they have shaped who we are today, and how they help us focus on what's most important this week as we celebrate Christmas 2020 with our family and friends.
Well, since we're talking about it, we might as well share a few of these cherished Christmas memories here with you.
Laura's Christmas Memory
Christmas is a nostalgic time for me. It was rarely about the presents. Year after year, during the holidays, we spent lots of time with relatives – usually in Texas. As a somewhat insecure kid, I remember the unconditional love and genuine care I felt as aunts and uncles asked questions, focused on our interests, slipped Christmas dollars under our pillows, made special breakfasts we liked, baked delicious homemade pies and rolls, or left out the chocolate cake so the kids could conveniently snatch a little more without any exclamations or reprimands. Through the years, we teased, laughed, played games, sang favorites, and reminisced while eating Texas barbeque or downing some venison brought in by one of the uncles. Some of us cousins watched Christmas specials ad nauseam. I’ve seen “It’s a Wonderful Life” so many times, that, surely, I should own stock in the movie. Sadly, most of the older generation is gone, but I still often spend time with those same ever-lovin’ Texas cousins. We treasure our time together!
Heather's Christmas Memory
We would always start the Christmas season by hosting a huge Christmas party for our church youth group and youth volunteers. My Mom, sisters, and I would bake for hours and hours in prep for the party! We'd play dirty Santa with the group and would laugh hysterically at the chocolate pudding diapers and Christmas underwear that would inevitably make an appearance at the teenage gift exchange. I loved these parties! As Christmas week began, we would load up in the car headed to Nana and Papa's house. There were 15 grand kids and 12 adults in that house for several days. So much noise but so much fun! On Christmas Day, my sisters and I would wait in our rooms in anticipation of my Dad playing the song, Winter Wonderland. That was our cue to exit our bedrooms and run to the living room to open gifts! After we opened gifts, we would quickly get ready and head to Memaw's house for Christmas with my Mom's family. We so looked forward to eating Memaw's chicken and dumplings and her red velvet cake! After lunch, all of the cousins would open their gifts, and our aunts and uncles would spend so much time taking the gifts out of the packages, inserting batteries, and teaching us how to use them (actually, I think they just really wanted to play with our toys, too!) We'd get extra excited if Memaw would bring out the Bingo game and the cool prizes to go along with it. We had such a fun time!
So, now it's your turn!
We'd love to challenge you to purposefully ask someone this week to share some of their Christmas memories with you. Be sure to share your memories with others, too! You might be surprised by what you will learn and value after a trip down memory lane!
P.S. Don't forget, too, that this week provides a wonderful opportunity to create NEW memories! Please slow down, enjoy the little things, and intentionally focus on spending time with others and creating memories that they will cherish for years to come!