Mother Christmas

I love to talk about my childhood. It was a healthy and happy childhood. I don't remember ever wanting anything. My Grandfather even would give us quarters and I would save them up and buy something from Nelson's dime store. We now have dollar stores and for a dollar I could buy a ton of stuff at Nelson's. Tea sets, little baby dolls, candy and candy and candy. Nelson's had creeky wooden floors and a smell that is like no other. You could get pop guns, paper airplanes, pick up sticks, big peppermint candy canes and doll clothes.....millions of things to choose from. Across the street and down a block was Ronsholdt's. There you could get Barbies, games, Slim Jims, necklaces, a lucky rabbit's foot and MALTED MILKSHAKES. You could sit at the soda fountain bar, order something and soon the blender would start. Big scoops of ice cream, Horlick's Malted Milk and Milk.....the big silver container and a big glass would be in front of me and all I needed was a spoon and a straw.

I had a swing set, dolls, doll clothes, games, a tractor and a cool bike. I don't remember ever being hungry, spanked, cold or sad. As far as I was concerned....I had it all.

I always wondered how those presents for Christmas got under the tree. I figured my Grandfather had something to do with it and I thought my Mom would let Santa in the front door when we were asleep.....we didn't have a fireplace. Up north in Wisconsin, you only use the front door if there is a party or company is coming over...otherwise, you always use the back door. We even had a "chute" for glass bottle milk delivery....and I knew Santa couldn't fit through there.

In my sister's and my room we had a "register" where the the heat came up from the basement. My bed was near the register and I could feel the heat warming me. There would be a crackle sound then you could tell the heat was coming.

It was Christmas eve and My sister Jayne and I were talking about the presents. We discussed how would they get here and we had no fireplace. I remember we talked for quite a while and tried to stay up. Year after year we would stay awake waiting for Santa......fall asleep, and wake to a tree full of gifts.......but when did they get there, and how....we had NO FIREPLACE. Well, this night we were going to find out!! I felt the sleep try to close my eyes and Jayne was already asleep. I heard a crackle but it wasn't the kind from the register and had nothing to with the heat. I took the cover off the register to look through to the dining room.......sitting on the floor was My Mother. Wrapping gifts for our Christmas. I was shocked to find out at that moment, that SHE was the Santa we were giving credit to all these years. She wrapped each present as if it were being given to royalty, folding each end perfectly and then placing it under the tree. I remember being kind of sad and happy at the same time. There never was a Santa but there was always my Mother.

When you started to read this blog, you probably thought about my economical status as a child. You may have thought we were rich because I never wanted for anything. Actually, my Father left when I was about 5 and I had a brother and sister younger than me. My Mother worked 2 and sometimes 3 jobs to take care of us. I remember that we got a basket of food and toys one Christmas...someone thought we were poor. I remember big packages of orange cheese that you could slice and they made the best grilled cheese sandwiches.....yes, it was government cheese. We lived in my grandparents rent house and they had to help us a lot.

My Mother sacrificed for us and many times she went without so we could have plenty. I don't remember ever not getting what I asked for at Christmas time.........after all, I lived with Mother Christmas.

Mom,

Thanks for everything you did for me and what you continue to do. You are my best friend. Thanks for my great childhood memories and for the best Christmas' a kid could ever ask for. I never got a BB gun though. My favorite present ever was my Chatty Kathy doll....go figure. I love you.