THINKING BACK...ON CHRISTMASES PAST

                  

   Thinking Back....on Christmases Past

by Billy Gilbreath, Guest Writer

Seems that tonight I am thinking of old

Days when waiting for the Christmas catalog

Containing the many brightly printed pages

Trains, Cars, puzzles, games, all designed for boys

Girl things, seems the pages were always more

Many dolls, miniature kitchens with real ovens

Don’t forget the inclusion of dress-up stuff. 

                         Christmas

With anticipation that final day at school

Letting out for Christmas and those times

Wondering who drew my name for this event

Hoping that I didn’t get a comb or yellow pencil

Times were hard as the old folks would say

Now realizing that the exchange gift may have

Been a great sacrifice for others in the family

                         Christmas

Home for a while and the searching begins

That tree in the woods, hoping the perfect shape

Not a blue spruce, or artificial but a real cedar

Decorating with ornaments from years past

Icicles, rope chain, red and green, maybe lights

Wishing and hoping they would all put forth light

Unlike today, toss and head to the nearest store

                         Christmas

General merchandise store, the five and dime

Now replaced by Amazon, Walmart, and the mall

Is that the smell of that famous cake baking?

The family traditional Yankee Layer Cake

A secret that remains and must remain, the recipe

Travel was limited but always to Papa and Grandma

                          Christmas

Now travel is simple as we look forward to the East

Seeing Son, Daughter, In-laws, (now family)  those

Little ones now grown, grandkids, and great  one

A contrast from Over the Hill and Through the Woods

                          Christmas

In spite of all the changes, observed in over 8 decades

The meaning of the Christmas Celebration, Joy, remains:

        “The Angel said to them, I bring you good news,

             Of great joy that will be for all the people.

    Today in the City of David, a Savior has been born, 

                   He Is Christ the Lord.”   

          Without Christ there is no Christmas    

                   Billy and Annalon    

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for MIL'S, December, 2019

Billy Gilbreath,  Hardin Simmons University, Class of '57