Reminscing...

Here at the RehabRN household, we've gotten into the mechanics of the holidays. When I was a kid, that meant Mom had to clean the house and get all the boxes out of storage. The large box was the Christmas tree and the smaller one, the rotating musical tree stand that played Jingle Bells.

We had an aluminum Christmas tree for many years. One of my favorite memories was to turn the tree on, get the color wheel on it, open the drapes, turn off the inside lights, and look at the tree from outside. My siblings and I always wanted to stay out forever, but Dad wouldn't let us, so we indulged ourselves by turning on the tree stand and lying under the tree, watching it as it rotated and ornaments passed us overhead. I spend many a Christmas season hearing Jingle Bells under the tree.

Today, the tree and the stand are long gone. I don't decorate to the extent Mom did, but I like to have friends and family over and cook. After all the cooking is done, I'm busy cleaning and getting ready. Bubba still believes in Santa, but as he gets older, it's harder. We just tell him Santa really does read his Amazon wish list (since he usually gets what's on it)

One Christmas was especially memorable. I remember the Christmas when I was a new nurse, one of my patients rode around in his wheelchair in a Santa hat. His room was covered in Christmas cards from everywhere, because his wife, a writer, got her clients his address and the mail room was inundated with mail for him daily. His family was nice, especially his wife, and she brought us a cherry whip dessert that was her family's holiday tradition. We had a whole lot of snow, and luckily, no one called out. Even though I had to work, it was fun.

Fast forward to this Christmas season. In between, Santa Hat man died on Groundhog Day the next year, which was a horrible shock to us. Writer Wife had a rough time dealing with it all and her own health issues, too. We kept in intermittent contact. Things started getting better. She started writing again after a long hiatus.

Writer Wife wrote on her web site recently, "Merry Christmas all. Meet my new husband, who was a childhood friend." They are as happy as can be.

Christmas wishes still come true, if you only believe. Enjoy your holidays, and make memories wherever you are!