Sundries

This photo came up in a hometown group I follow on Facebook. This picture would have been taken in the early-mid 60’s, around the time my mom and grandmother would have taken my dister and me downtown to watch the Christmas parade. We would probably be getting a new pair of knit gloves that day, for standing in cold, and our mom would rub chapstick on our lips, and tie our knit hats under our chins. The anticipation was as exciting as the actual parade.  We were thrilled by the spectacle of the shop decorations and the marching band sounds coming closer and closer.  The majorettes twirling batons, with their pom pom adorned boots, was my favorite sight. Even though Greenville was a small city there were still beautifully decorated floats with Santa and elves and local figures who’d bankrolled the affair. The tradition of local festivities is a sweet one. I never did like to watch parades on tv.  Maybe  I’ll give it a try this year and see if there is any magic to be wrung out of it. 

My grandparents, whom we lived with during that time, bought cedar trees for their Christmas tree. I still get a hit of happiness anytime I catch that scent on my walks. These days a Norfolk Island pine makes do. I think fondly on the years we joyfully decorated the house, putting up the scenic candle display, drank from Santa mugs, hung up  wooden cranberry garlands around the doorway. Picking out perfect Christmas cards, always looking for ones with lit lanterns pictured, or with glittery frosted windows and birds. I’m not sure how common this is, but in my adulthood, I always felt sad and a little jaded at the end of Christmas Day. I think inside, I knew it was the anticipation and waiting that were the fun part. The day itself could never live up to that. Still it was beautiful and very worth doing. For a few weeks it seemed  we had some magic in our lives, even if we overspent, or there was a sulky disappointment of some kind. 

Wishing you a peaceful Christmas season. And hopefully a magical moment or two, even if we know the drill very well by now.