Holiday Memories

     Happy Holidays!!!!! I am (hopefully) planning on posting some holiday songs and movies that are apart of my own holiday experience in the next few days. Holidays at my household are always joyful and stressed at the same time. There is always the stress of shopping and decorating. Cards need to be sent, cookies made, and gift baskets bought. Now as I am getting older I keep thinking about Christmases in my past and what impact they have had on me. For me, traditions are very important. Unfortunately, this year we did not have the time to go as an entire family to get a tree. Although at the time I didn't think much of it, now I feel upset that I was not able to go. We always used to go on a cold early December Saturday with plenty of hot chocolate. We all of course listened to Christmas songs and tried to sing along. One of my best Christmas memories is from one of these outings. We lived in France for three years, and the second year in December we all went out to get the Christmas tree. Although this memory was simple, to this day I can clearly remember listening to a Louis Armstrong Christmas cd while we drove in the snow to get our tree. Songs like "Cool Yule" and "Zat you Santa Claus" still stick to my memory. I can promise you that as a meek little 5 year old I thought that Louis Armstrong was some type of Christmas magical beig. Now, over 10 years later, i'm still convinced. I think it was those early car rides that made me love jazz Christmas music so much. I also remember the place where we got our tree. It looked like a greenhouse, somewhat similar to the one that Frosty the Snowman gets trapped in. You can only guess my initial apprehension as we pulled in. I was only 5, and images of Frosty melting still were fresh in my mind: would I melt? What if I found Frosty? Was I going to meet Santa!? This was a lot to take in for a 5 year old! However, once we were in the greenhouse I was mystefied. It was more magical than anything I had ever imagined! While my parents walked around looking at the trees, I wandered around looking at everything bright eyed. It still stands as one of my favorite Christmas memories. All I can say is that the French know how to do Christmas right! I'm convinced still that nothing else will compare to that one greenhouse.
     Every year my school has a "Winter Lights Assembly" where music groups perform and students and teachers share their own holiday experiences. Every year I am entertained by stories of my fellow classmates' holidays. Also, every year I tell myself that none of my Holiday experiences could ever be as funny, witty, or exciting as theirs. However, I have come to the conclusion that maybe my Holidays were also something special- perhaps in that way each person's holiday memories are unique; whether you travel many miles, have cookie competitions, or just stay home. But, what makes the holidays so special is that each person can bring their own unique holiday experience with each other's to create one large holiday experience mixing bowl. And that is what the Holidays are all about.

                                                                With Love, 

Natasha