It is only as an adult that I fully appreciated the sacrifices my parents made to ensure that I and the rest of my immediate family had a truly festive Christmas time. All memories of my childhood Christmas's still leave me with a warm glowing feeling and bring a smile to my face every time. I now realise I was truly blessed to have such a selfless, loving Mam and Dad who wrapped us up in a world of wonderment which captured my imagination perfectly, from Father Christmas, reindeer and so on in early childhood, to thoughtful, gift giving and festive atmospheres in my later childhood and into my early teens.
As a child, of course, one has no concept of money and wider financial issues. After my younger sister was born I had 7 siblings but I'm also now more aware that being the second youngest was a privilege. My younger sister and I didn't have to live through crying babies around us as we were indeed those babies doing the crying. Our elder siblings made sacrifices of their own which I never had to go through. They also fought battles that were won by the time I reached my teens. Despite this, my younger sister and I were never spoiled either. My parents and elder siblings never allowed this to happen so I was given the perfect balance between deprivation and excess. I was soon put in my place if I ever said I "wanted" something. I was left in no doubt that I had to deserve any rewards so good behaviour was recognised and anything less than that was not tolerated, either by my parents or my elder siblings. This coming Christmas Day, in line with many of recent years, I will pause for a moment, raise a glass of something festive, and give my sincere thanks to my Mam, Dad(R.I.P), siblings and all those who made my childhood Christmas's so special with priceless memories that I hope to take with me into old age.
May all those reading this have a suitably convivial Christmas.
No comments:
Post a Comment