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THE CHRISTMAS CHURCH MUSIC BOX
Every Christmas for as long as I can remember, Mama always put out as part of her holiday decorating a little Christmas Church Music Box that lit up with a small bulb inside and played "Silent Night." This was always my favorite of all her decorations and when I was a little boy I would wind up the music box over and over to listen to its tinkling rendition of that beloved carol.
As we children moved out one by one and my parents began to get older and have a difficult time doing things, Mama's Christmas decorating gradually became less and less elaborate. But she would always find a place for the Christmas Church Music Box and would send me a photo of it since she knew I loved it so much.
Well, a couple of weeks ago [this was written in 2010 --crl], I was talking to Mama on the phone. She mentioned that my younger brother Tim was coming up to visit for a few days, and that while he was there he was going to help her go through her "Christmas Stuff" and dispose of most of it since she didn't do anything much with it anymore. I immediately exclaimed, "Ohh, if you're not going to keep the Christmas Church Music Box, can I have it?"
She said, "Hmmm, I should have known you would want that. But sorry, Tim has already asked for it and I said he could have it."
"Oh well," I said, "First come, first served."
I didn't say any more about it but, to tell you the truth, I was pretty disappointed. But I didn't dwell on it and soon forgot about it.
Well, a few days ago Tim called me on my birthday. He said, "Keep an eye out for the UPS Man -- he's bringing you a birthday present. It's something you're really going to like."
I assumed it would be some kind of vacuum cleaner if it was big enough to come via UPS. So I was a little bit puzzled when I got home yesterday and there was a box about a foot square waiting for me on the porch.
I brought the box inside, opened it, and started bawling....... My rotten little brother sent me the Christmas Church Music Box!
I wound up the music box and the tears just started pouring down my face as I listened to it play, and thought back to "days of yore" when we had so many wonderful Christmases together as a family.
I called Tim on the phone.
When he answered, I gave the music box a crank and it began to play. He chuckled, "Oh, your birthday present came. Merry Christmas!"
I was so choked up I could barely talk, and that of course got him a little choked up too. I said, "I can't believe you sent me this. I wanted it so badly, and I really was disappointed when Mama said you had already asked for it."
He said, in a halting voice, "Well, I am really glad you're so happy to have it."
-ooOoo-
Later that day, I called Mama and said, "I guess you know what Tim sent me for my birthday because you were probably in on it!"
She laughed and said, "I'm sure everyone knows that the music box is so special to you, so of course you're the one who should have it, and, yes, he wanted it to be a surprise."
I said, "We had it every Christmas for as far back as I can remember. Do you remember when and where you got it?"
She said, "We got it not too long after Daddy and I got married -- it was one of the first Christmas decorations we bought, so it's at least 60 years old." [They got married in 1947.] She continued, "I don't remember where I got it but probably from Spiegel's catalog -- I used to order a lot of things from them because you could make installment payments."
-ooOoo-
I have many happy memories of Christmases growing up. Some years, as a big minister's family on a small minister's salary, the material aspect of the holiday was a bit lean. But it was never lean on Christmas joy but rich with happiness and beauty. And no matter how bare Santa Claus's sleigh was, Mama always decorated the entire house for Christmas. And, as I said, the Christmas Church Music Box was my favorite of all her decorations.
It is with a mixed sense of bittersweet happy-sadness that the Christmas Church Music Box now sits on my bedside table as a night light. I am very happy to have it, but at the same time am sad to know that Mama will no longer be setting it out at Christmas at home and sending me a photo of it.
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THE CHRISTMAS CHURCH MUSIC BOX
Every Christmas for as long as I can remember, Mama always put out as part of her holiday decorating a little Christmas Church Music Box that lit up with a small bulb inside and played "Silent Night." This was always my favorite of all her decorations and when I was a little boy I would wind up the music box over and over to listen to its tinkling rendition of that beloved carol.
As we children moved out one by one and my parents began to get older and have a difficult time doing things, Mama's Christmas decorating gradually became less and less elaborate. But she would always find a place for the Christmas Church Music Box and would send me a photo of it since she knew I loved it so much.
Well, a couple of weeks ago [this was written in 2010 --crl], I was talking to Mama on the phone. She mentioned that my younger brother Tim was coming up to visit for a few days, and that while he was there he was going to help her go through her "Christmas Stuff" and dispose of most of it since she didn't do anything much with it anymore. I immediately exclaimed, "Ohh, if you're not going to keep the Christmas Church Music Box, can I have it?"
She said, "Hmmm, I should have known you would want that. But sorry, Tim has already asked for it and I said he could have it."
"Oh well," I said, "First come, first served."
I didn't say any more about it but, to tell you the truth, I was pretty disappointed. But I didn't dwell on it and soon forgot about it.
Well, a few days ago Tim called me on my birthday. He said, "Keep an eye out for the UPS Man -- he's bringing you a birthday present. It's something you're really going to like."
I assumed it would be some kind of vacuum cleaner if it was big enough to come via UPS. So I was a little bit puzzled when I got home yesterday and there was a box about a foot square waiting for me on the porch.
I brought the box inside, opened it, and started bawling....... My rotten little brother sent me the Christmas Church Music Box!
I wound up the music box and the tears just started pouring down my face as I listened to it play, and thought back to "days of yore" when we had so many wonderful Christmases together as a family.
I called Tim on the phone.
When he answered, I gave the music box a crank and it began to play. He chuckled, "Oh, your birthday present came. Merry Christmas!"
I was so choked up I could barely talk, and that of course got him a little choked up too. I said, "I can't believe you sent me this. I wanted it so badly, and I really was disappointed when Mama said you had already asked for it."
He said, in a halting voice, "Well, I am really glad you're so happy to have it."
-ooOoo-
Later that day, I called Mama and said, "I guess you know what Tim sent me for my birthday because you were probably in on it!"
She laughed and said, "I'm sure everyone knows that the music box is so special to you, so of course you're the one who should have it, and, yes, he wanted it to be a surprise."
I said, "We had it every Christmas for as far back as I can remember. Do you remember when and where you got it?"
She said, "We got it not too long after Daddy and I got married -- it was one of the first Christmas decorations we bought, so it's at least 60 years old." [They got married in 1947.] She continued, "I don't remember where I got it but probably from Spiegel's catalog -- I used to order a lot of things from them because you could make installment payments."
-ooOoo-
I have many happy memories of Christmases growing up. Some years, as a big minister's family on a small minister's salary, the material aspect of the holiday was a bit lean. But it was never lean on Christmas joy but rich with happiness and beauty. And no matter how bare Santa Claus's sleigh was, Mama always decorated the entire house for Christmas. And, as I said, the Christmas Church Music Box was my favorite of all her decorations.
It is with a mixed sense of bittersweet happy-sadness that the Christmas Church Music Box now sits on my bedside table as a night light. I am very happy to have it, but at the same time am sad to know that Mama will no longer be setting it out at Christmas at home and sending me a photo of it.
