Tis' the season

Christmas. My favorite time of year. My commutes back and forth to work have been full of childhood memories - mostly of my Poppy.

He wasn't really a church going man unless my sister and I were singing or it was a major holiday. Of course, that was usually when my sister and I were singing.

Anyways, this is what keeps popping into my head. My dad is sitting in front of the record player, with a 1000 piece puzzle partially done on the table, putting his Christmas records in order. There were probably 50 of them. And we listened to them all, at least one song on each and every one. His glasses are next to him on a shelf because he couldn't read anything up close with his glasses on. His pipe is in the huge yellow glass ashtray on a flowered TV tray next to the table because there was no room for it amid the puzzle pieces even with the leaves in. He is wearing dark green pants, a red and green plaid flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up and white socks. He has one leg stretched out and one bent cause he was a big man and sitting criss-cross with not an option. Song after song: country, classical, folk. He loved them all. I loved the many many Christmas Sing Along with Mitch where I heard my first version of Must Be Santa.

Poppy would always put on his best flannel for Christmas Eve service. I loved standing on the pew next to him singing along with his soft voice to the same songs we listened to in the living room (well, not much of Mitch). I would pretend to read the words out of the hymn book but I didn't need to. I had all the words memorized - at least the first verse. As the pastor retold the Christmas story, my dad would take his candle with the little paper wax catcher on it and carve a spiral line with his fingernail. I always asked to hold it when he was done. I think I even took one home once, even though we were supposed to put them back in the box when we left the church. We would light our candles from the person next to use and sing Silent Night without needing a hymnbook at all.

I miss my Poppy this Christmas a little bit more than most. It has been 9 years since he blessed our table with his bah humbug and special gifts. I wish my babies could hear him sing those songs and sit on his lap to help him hold those fancy candles he always made. I'll be watching to see how he smiles down on us this holiday season.

May your season be filled with many happy memories - past and present.