Christmas's Past...

As Christmas approaches, memories of Christmas pasts always enters my mind I am asking my blogger readers to feel free to share a special Christmas memory that they may have.


 I was was Christmas 1977, and I was 7. My maternal grandmother "Nana"  had just been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She was only given 3-6 months to live.
She and my grand dad came over on Christmas Eve, My mother had gone overboard cooking our Traditional Italian dinner: Rigatoni's, Spaghetti, bread, and lots of Italian desserts. It was also the one time of year my siblings and I were allowed to drink wine. As sad as the adults were that year, they all tried very hard to keep it happy and jovial.

Christmas came the next day, and so had Santa.. My Aunt brought her and my grand dad back over. She was sitting in a chair and I next to her on the floor, I laid my head on the arm of the chair, she started rubbing my head, and talking to me in Italian:
"Buon Natale piccola, ti amo e sarà sempre con te"
 (Merry Christmas Little one, I love you and will always be with you)

Three months later in March she passed away peacefully. That Christmas was so very
long ago, but after all these years I remember it so clearly. She is still with me, I see her in my children, and In some of their mannerisms or facial expressions. They look at her picture and I tell them stories of her. And she is there every year on Christmas eve, when I and my own family sit around the table having our Italian celebration...


-JUGM