It was the best Christmas, it was the worst Christmas....it is the one Christmas I will never forget.

I am a spoiled princess. I have never gone hungry or lacked for anything. When I wanted a particular toy or object I usually got it. I may have had to wait till my birthday or Christmas but whatever I asked for would "magically" appear.

The Christmas I was 11 and my older sister was 14 we were told that Christmas would be very lean as my parents needed to replace the family car. My parents had long ago revealed Santa's real identity so felt like we could reasonably be included in this family decision.

Christmas at our house was always very lavish......lots of presents, toys, games, and new clothes. So, even though our parents had announced not to expect any presents other than what the aunts, uncles, and grandparents sent......we didn't really believe it.


One reason we didn't believe that there would be no Christmas was the mysterious noises, whispers, paper rustling and frantic cries of "Don't come in here right now!"

After all we reasoned, neither one of us could drive.......so a new car was not a family gift if only my parents could take it for a spin. We also thought they were telling us this just to see the joy on our little faces come Christmas morning when "Surprise.....Santa came after all!"

Christmas Eve, we eyeballed the few packages already under the tree. That's one from grandma, probably new mittens and a crocheted hat. That little one from our cousin....probably a small toy. That one's bound to be socks or underwear....none of them inspiring or even interesting. "They wouldn't really cancel Christmas," my big sister assured me.

Christmas morning arrived and in our household no one was allowed in the living room until my dad went in and turned on the Christmas tree lights. We had sliding "pocket doors" leading into the living room from the hallway that were closed on Christmas Eve.

My mom turned to us in the hallway and said, "Do you want to go open your presents or go sing Merry Christmas to the car?"

What kind of question was this? Who wants to go sing Merry Christmas to a car?.....Let me at those gifts! "Gifts, gifts," we cried in unison. "Okay, she said, and slid open the door....revealing our glorious Christmas tree and gifts......just the way we left it on Christmas Eve.

One quick look at the tree was enough to depress this 11 year old. "Let's go sing to the car", I said, clearly disappointed. "Oh no," my mom said, "lets go open our gifts!"

So we did. Sure enough there was new crocheted mittens and cap from grandma, small toy from the cousin and the usual suspects that polite relatives send you who hardly see you and have no idea what you might really like. It wasn't a bad haul.....just nothing that we really wanted.

"Oh look", cooed my mother......"What's this attached to the tree?"

Near the top branches was a note that said, "To the Watson Family" and had a string that went from the tree to the new car in the garage. "Let's follow the string and go sing Merry Christmas to the car!" she encouraged, knowing we were disappointed by having no presents.

We went to the garage very begrudingly only because my dad had on his "you heard your mother" face and we knew it was pointless to argue. So we opened the garage door and there sat "the car".

The car.....an object of great pain and disdain. The car! (that had robbed us of our happy childhood) . The car......that neither one of could drive. The car.......(well you get the gist!). I personally wanted to spit on the wheels but we were encourage by my mother and a stern look from my father to feebly sing: " Merry Christmas to you, Merry Christmas to you, Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas , Merry Christmas to you."

"Oh look," my mom said, "The string is caught in the trunk....maybe we should open it up and look inside?"

"I'm going in the house, " I said...(tired of the whole Christmas car incident, and hoping maybe I was adopted and that my real parents might be inside waiting for me with my Christmas gifts.)

"Oh no you don't", dad said, opening the trunk revealing the entire space filled with gaily colored boxes, packages, dolls, games, stockings, ribbons and candy. "Not till you help bring these presents inside!"

Presents! Gifts! Wow, maybe this new car thing wasn't as bad as I thought. My emotions went from sad, angry, and miserable to all smiles, excitement and merriment. Presents.....more than I had ever imagined at any Christmas before or since. Presents.....gifts, my parents did love us more than their car after all!

"I told you so," said my big sister.....wiping tears out of her face, (but not sounding nearly as confident as she wanted me to think.)

So that was my "Miserable Merry Christmas!" My parents later told us that that was the first time they had to sneak presents from the house into the car (instead of the other way around!).

I remember that Christmas very well.....but the only gift I still remember was the mittens and hat crocheted by my grandmother. The gift that I so quickly dismissed as insignificant, was the one I still remember.

Labels: all about Me, Monday memories