Dec. 1996
Tis two nights before Christmas and all through the house, nothing is stirring. Bob and Lady, the dog, are all die company there is. What contrast to days gone by. Mary would deck die house widi a bit of die holiday trimmings. Nothing elaborate, you understand. It was just a tribute to the season of celebration. If she had access to a million dollars I doubt if it would have been different. She was a frugal woman. This was a trait diat I much admired. She taught me a lesson early in our marriage. I believe the females of all God's kingdom have a strong protective regard for their offspring. This is something that I suspect the male will never understand. If she ever brought home anything that might seem frivolous it was for die children. Christmas was a special time. We, for years ate a breakfast together on Christmas morning. This continued until her death. All the family would try to come to this special gathering. I am not sure why we did this; but it was good for die family. Perhaps we did it in deference to our children's spouse's family. They too gadiered on Christmas day and of course die expanded family could not be at both grandparents at the same time. Mary would be up late on Christmas eve. She would hang stockings for family members; nothing elaborate. It was just her way of letting us all know that we wrere special. Oh Lord forgive! How much I took for granted. I am thankful for the bittersweet memories.