In Cedarfield tradition, the Pastoral Care Team created this compilation of holiday memoirs by team members and residents. We will share one a day through the holidays. Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Dick Gladfelter, Resident
Each year before Christmas my favorite aunt would take me downtownto see all the hustle and bustle of the season, the toys in the departmentstores, and of course, experience the thrill of sitting with Santa Clausand telling him what I wanted for Christmas. Christmas day would arrive, and Iwould joyously retrieve Santa’s presents. I wouldn’t get everything, but I usuallywould get most of what I wanted.
The year 1937 was a year in my life when I really did not want to do anythingthat I was asked or told to do. It did not matter if it was my grandma, mother,aunt, or uncle. If they asked me to do something, I would reply, “AH NUTS,”and then I would do what was asked. If I was out playing and was told to come tosupper, I would reply, “AH NUTS” and come in reluctantly.
This year before Christmas my aunt and I went downtown, and I saw Santa as Ihad the three previous years and told him what I wanted. After a couple of weeks,HOORAY, it was Christmas Eve. I remember going to bed that night and wakingup Christmas morning and running downstairs to see what Santa brought me. Ilooked everywhere to find my presents, but the only present left for me was a largebowl of nuts on the table with my name on a piece of paper pasted to the bowl.This was my present from Santa for Christmas 1937. NOTHING MORE.
I remember crying because I was so disappointed that I got nothing that I toldSanta I wanted. I was the only child in the family, and everyone in the family gotmore than a bowl of nuts. That made no difference. That was Christmas 1937.
I remember my aunt telling me that she was sad for me too, but I should not blameSanta. She told me that Santa KNOWS WHEN I AM AWAKE. HE SEES MEWHEN I AM ASLEEP. HE KNOWS WHEN I AM GOOD OR BAD. Shetold me that Santa probably thought that I had forgotten to ask him for the thingI had mentioned hundreds of times that year. NUTS.
