Christmas Memories

by Audrey Ellis

Both parents were quite musical with mum being an accomplished pianist whilst dad played an accordion. I would shelter beneath his seemingly never-ending legs or just play hide forcing one of us to be eliminated from the game. Of course we must have cheated for we were kids after all!

Dad would at other times blow up party balloons and then let them float to the ceiling whilst we leapt to catch or touch them as they floated slowly down to our reaching fingertips. There always seemed to be a lightness there in our home as well as a sense of security and the safe knowledge that tomorrow would be more or less the same as today.

I recall being given sixpence pocket money every Saturday and running down the close to a nearby toy shop where I would stand on tip-toes and stare through the plated glass at an array of gifts; many outside my spending power then. I do not think this harmed me realising that there were toys there that I could not buy for there were other items I could save for and anticipate getting. Perhaps that lesson back then helped me to understand that life isn't necessarily about immediate rewards.

The reward can instead be in the longing for and looking forward to as we look forward to our annual holidays now.

I remember unwrapping a bride doll one Christmas and our front room littered with paper and our pet dog Rex joining in as we played and squabbled I guess. I had for a while accepted that Father Christmas was in fact Daddy Christmas having seen a red Santa cloak on his bed but still I pretended for wasn't everyone else doing just the same.

We didn't have a television then but instead the wireless was on quite a lot of the time and that I think assisted us with developing an imagination as well as listening skills.

Of course I love buying presents for others and can get carried away buying toys for Erin my tiny grand-daughter but they are ordinary basic toys where she can have fun and develop her imagination.

Buying a really expensive toy for her wouldn't make me any better a Nana than getting her something more basic but still fun.