Christmas Eve Memories

Christmas Eve always brings a special memory back to me.  In Briton, we never put our trees up until after the children were in bed Christmas Eve.

My mother had three children by her second marriage. I was 9 when she remarried so it was not long before I did not believe in Santa Claus anymore (or as my smart eldest daughter said to her younger sisters you could say he was related to us. Smart kid). Sorry I digress, as I got older, I could stay up and help decorate the tree.

There was one Christmas Eve that always remains with me. We had nearly finished decorating the tree. Our house had a bay window and that is where the tree was. Outside there were steps up to the road with a streetlamp at the top. It had just started to lightly snow. I was standing back looking at the tree against the pretty backdrop of the snow. Suddenly there was a beautiful sound. I had not noticed the Carol singers who had just arrived and were singing under the streetlamp. It was almost like something from a Christmas card or movie.

Moments like this do not come often in life but one should never forget then. When people say what are you grateful for, we often forget that some of the simplest things are the most special.