Christmas Boxes

I opened some box's today and found love inside.

Oh sure, if anyone other than me had opened them, they would probably only see lots n lots of ordinary looking, 'stuff'.

As I lift the lids to those boxes every year I am flooded with wonderful memories, as well as some sad ones. 

And ya know, I just can't help looking for some things that just don't seem to be there any more. Sometimes I'm surprised to find that some things that have been missing are mysteriously slipping back in throughout the year...

This year I found my bestest neighbor's there in the memories.

Oh the fun I had making gifts for them every year!

The fun we had receiving gifts from them every year!

The biggest surprise was the year they gave us a couple sets of outdoor lights. Trying to be sneaking as they wrapped the basketball post and across the front of the house, trying so hard not to get caught by anyone. So they waited until we had left for a while. Never knowing that the Cocker Spaniel we lovingly called "The Boog" was on the back of the couch watching the whole thing. Then she jumped down and ran to the top of the stairs to watch them out the front door, and I understand it had them all a little jumpy and giggly at one point.

The fog was so thick you could cut it with a knife when we returned home, the visibility was something like an inch, causing us to count driveway's going down the street to find our house.

We drove past it twice, because we thought we had miss counted and got one of their houses, because it had lights...finally we chanced it and found our surprise!

The bitter sweet memory of the year was when I opened a box that had been closed up real tight for about 6 years...when I opened it my childhood drifted out with the smell of my Momma.

I freely admit to sitting down, burring my nose in it's contents, breathing as deeply as humanly possible, knowing that it would not bring her back, and knowing that I couldn't collect the scent that had escaped and tuck it lovingly back inside, to be opened on other day's...It was so good to have her memory helping me decorate.

I made eggnog from my Grampa's recipe, plugged in Johnny Mathis' 'Sleigh Ride', remembered Aunt Leona's Christmas Eve party's, and had a simply wonderful trip down memory lane, while preparing to help make new memories to add to them all...

I hope you find lots of love in your Christmas Boxes too.

May God Bless

(c)