What Christmas sticks out in your mind?
Christmas was always a huge event in our home growing up as a kid. Dad always took us to cut down that tree that would reach perfectly to the living room ceiling. Mom would always make sure we were involved in decorating the tree. And Dad would always lift the youngest of us so our tiny little fingers could place the star on top.
Larger Families
Back in the day, I remember huge family units. Families consisting of five or more children. Many of my cousins were from large families. And, if I recall correctly, one of them had 13 altogether. I’m really not 100% sure why they were bigger back then. Perhaps because of religious practices, and abortion was most likely illegal. Or, maybe because birth control may not have been exercised. Not sure why, but my siblings and I alone had 63 first cousins.
So, those of you who have grown up in a large family, knows what happens. Clothing was usually sewn, and rarely bought. Hand-me-downs were a rite of passage. I thank my parents because they always made sure we never went hungry. But, with that said, us kids would always fight for the last piece of food on the table. Also, there was always at least 2 siblings sleeping in the same bed. Having bigger families means sacrificing things to make sure everyone gets something.
One Memorable Christmas
I remember a Christmas when I was about 10 years old. I still believed in Santa, and recall getting massively upset when I eventually learned the truth about the fat guy. We always opened our presents on Christmas Eve. That evening, I was wearing a Holly Hobby blue fabric dress my mother had sewn for me. (Yes……Holly Hobby was my god at that time! lol)
As excited kids do, I ripped open my present with a sweaty fury. It was a suitcase similar to the one in the above photo, except it was blue. I always had dreams of travelling, and Santa knew exactly what I wanted. SCORE!! (Upon thinking of it later in life, maybe my parents wanted me to pack and leave! 
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The Miracle
Then the true miracle came. I opened the vinyl blue suitcase, and OH-MY-GAWD…….there was a jar of green olives inside! With jar in hand, I skipped next to the X-mas tree and cheered with pure joy. I was truly in heaven. Olives have been my favorite food my entire life, even as a child. And olives were in our house on only very special occasions. So, getting an entire jar all by myself was probably the best thing that ever happened to me! Thanks Santa for knowing what to bring me for Christmas!!
Hope you enjoyed this article, hope you have a great Christmas, and see you next time!