My Favorite Christmas Memory...

This time of the year is always sad for me now that my Gramma is gone. My Gramma LOVED Christmas and she embodied the meaning. When I was growing up my grandparents owned the local hardware store (A TRUE VALUE). Come November 1st my Gramma would bring out the Christmas trees to decorate at the store. She took her time making each tree uniquely decorated and special and perfect. Our store (it was family owned, operated and staffed) was a part of the local Chamber of Com merce. Every year the hardware store sponsored the "Angel Tree" for the area families in need. When she and my mom delivered all the gifts they would take the food baskets that local (and only) grocery store donated. This could take anywhere from 1-2 days (12 hours each day) to deliver.

Every year my Grampa would dress up as Santa and go to the 3 local elementary school in the Northern end of our county and he would pass out candy canes, have lunch with the kids, and let each and every child sit on his lap for as long as the child wanted to. He also went to Head Start dressed up as Santa and would take "goodie bags" filled with coloring books, crayons, candy, small toys, and whatever else suited my Gramma's fancy the day that she went to buy the stuff. We used plain large brown paper bags and we would decorate the bags with glitter, pictures and whatever else we had. We put everything in the bags with love and care. I can always remember WANTING to do this. Wanting to help out others.

There are 2 particular Christmas memories that I can now remember as being my favorite. The first one was of my Grampa. There was a little girl named "Michelle" that went to the local elementary school. She was deaf. The Newspaper took the most awesome picture of the 2 of them. This little girl melted my grampa's heart. Whenever she came into the store my Grampa would talk to her, give her a treat there was just something special about her. Her smile lit up the room. THe Newspaper recognized what a special picture this was a had the photo mounted and gave it too my Grampa with a nice plaque for all that he and my gramma gave to the community.

My favorite memory of my gramma was as she was delivering the Angel Tree items the very last house they went to to deliver did not have a tree. The mom was so very gracious when she received the food basket and gifts. She honestly told my Gramma that if it was not for that food basket they would have no food until her next pay check (10 days away). They had no Christmas Tree and she told my gramma they could not afford one.

My Gramma marched into the hardware store (5 minutes before closing) and yelled "FATHER COME HERE I NEED YOUR HELP!" She always called my Grampa, Father. My Grampa came out of the office and he stood by the register (where I was) and told him what she found out. We closed the store and my Gramma went back and picked the tree. My mom and I started carefully removing ornaments, bows, lights and disassembling the tree. My Gramma told us that she would be right back and she marched out of the hardware store. Now my Gramma was just a little lady, but when she was on a mission NO ONE told her no and she MARCHED with authority to get her mission accomplished.

We were finishing wrapping each ornament up when she returned. She told us that she had to go back to grocery store when the tree and ornaments were loaded into the truck. We loaded everything into the truck and she and my mom left for the grocery store.

When she left the hardware store she marched right into the grocery store and spoke with Tim the manager (and owner) and told him what the last family had told her. Tim had told her to give him 30 minutes and come back he would have something for her. When they got back there, Tim and his wife had gathered probably close to $500 in grocery and gift certificates for milk and bread.

Tim helped her load everything into the truck and she went to deliver the items. When she knocked on the door the lady was confused and my Gramma told her that she had forgotten to delivery a few items and could she do it now. When my gramma started bringing in more and more items and told the family that they had a christmas tree and food the lady cried. She offered to return the tree after Christmas and my Gramma told her that every tree needed a family and THIS tree belonged to THIS family now.

These are the things that my Grandparents did. These are the type of people that they are. I AM SO PROUD to be their granddaughter. Christmas is when I miss them the most. I miss their giving and generous hearts. They were wonderful people and the world is a little less wonderful without them in it.

I love you and MISS YOU!