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!
Betty Ruggles, Resident
One Christmas morning when I was young, and we were living in Arizona,I woke up quite early with a plan to open all my gifts from Santa. Icouldn’t wait! But much to my surprise it was dark and freezing and Santahad not come. I thought maybe it was simply too cold for Santa. I was disappointed,but sympathetic. Later than morning I woke up again and discovered thatSanta was just running late. It must have been the weather.
Some years later when I had a family of my own, and we lived in Connecticut, Igot up one Christmas morning and discovered that all of my son’s Christmas presentshad been opened. I went looking for him and found him fast asleep in thesleeping bag he had received for Christmas. It was just a couple of years later whenwe all woke up one Christmas morning and discovered that his younger brotherhad done the same thing – gotten up early to open all his gifts. There were openpackages and ripped wrapping paper scattered about the room. But I don’t thinkhe had received a sleeping bag to snuggle into.
Both boys discovered independently that a big part of the fun at Christmas wasnot simply getting gifts but opening their gifts with everyone present — having funas a family! They were disappointed when they realized that their part of the funwas over. In subsequent years they may have gotten up early to take a peek, butthey always waited until we were all awake to open their gifts.
“One of the most glorious messes in the world
is the mess created in the living room onChristmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.”
-Andy Rooney
