My Most Memorable Christmas

My Most Memorable Christmas

In late 1964 three angry teenagers, one bewildered seven year old and their emotionally scared mother slid into the Salt Lake Valley in a station wagon, filled with all their worldly possessions, in the middle of a snow storm. A semi couldn't see them and didn't miss them either. It was an omen their mother ignored as she fled to the safety of the Saints.

In one of the Magna, Utah wards we quickly became known as one of 'those families'. Everyone was nice to us but all the parents hoped their children wouldn't become our friends, although many did. We were poor and the only job our mother, still reeling from her divorce, could get was selling hearing aides door to door.

The year wore on and the bills piled up which deepened mother's depression. By the time Christmas eve rolled around there was no food, no money and our electricity had been turned off. Mother was too proud to ask for help from the church. As a new convert she didn't fully understand the church welfare system.

A neighbor found out and told our bishop who called the man in charge of turning on and off the electricity. Pulling him out of his warm home late on Christmas eve our sweet bishop made him turn our power back on. As a young child I remember sitting next to the heating vent huddled in a thin blanket wishing for heat. To my amazement and the plumping of my testimony God sent heat!

Mother had made bread from the last of our flour and we were looking forward to having something to put in our bellies when the Relief Society showed up with the largest box of food I'd ever seen. We were so excited that we were going to have meat for Christmas along with potatoes and vegetables and a pie. There were other things but I still remember the pie someone in our ward made and gave to us, one of 'those families'.

Our bishop showed up with an envelope with what looked like to us a small fortune. There was just enough that we kids could buy each other a gift. There would be presents. We didn't have a tree to put them under but to us children it meant there would be a Christmas for us after all.

Before we could bundle up and rush off to the stores that would be closing very soon there was a knock at the door. A sweet couple from our ward stood at our door with huge smiles. He explained that they heard we didn't have a Christmas tree. A thrill went through me at the thought that there would be the smell of pine in our home, further bringing a real Christmas to us. Then his wife explained that they had heard mother once say she had always wanted a flocked tree. They presented us with a tree that they had purchased and then took the time to spray flocking on all the branches. To me it was the most beautiful tree in the world. There was even a homemade stand. As soon as the tree was set up in a place of honor in our small living room they departed quickly. 

Throwing on our coats we rushed to the nearest store and bought small inexpensive gifts. On the way back to the car I slipped and fell on the ice breaking a small bottle of cologne that I had bought for my brother, Ricky. Of course I cried immediately. I only had a few cents left in my pocket and I wanted so badly to have a gift to give my wonderful brother. My siblings pulled what few cents they had left and rushed me back into the store that was trying to close so they could go home to their families.

With my meager gifts I felt rich. It didn't matter that they were cheap it only mattered that I had something to give my family. We went home happy, for the first time all season, and wrapped our treasures in newspaper and decorated with crayon. 

We had food in our warm home, a beautiful tree and gifts tucked lovingly under the boughs. Life couldn't get better. Actually it could. There came another knock and there stood the Relief Society again. Word had gone through the ward about our plight. Upon hearing we had a tree but no decorations the brothers and sisters of our ward jumped, once again, into action. The sisters handed us a box of ornaments. They explained that many families had taken one of their own ornaments off their tree to gave to us.

At this time I was almost eight and even I could feel and understand the true meaning of Christmas. There were no shiny bikes or train sets to open on Christmas day but I felt like we had it all.

The next year mother became sick and we kids were scattered to the winds. I've always wanted to tell the good people of Magna, Utah what a joyous Christmas they gave us. We weren't an easy family to fellowship but you did for us the best you could. Mother stayed faithful her whole life and is gone now but there are two of us kids still active. My husband is a convert and we have four children and 9+ grandchildren all in the church. They have heard the story of my most memorable Christmas and have enjoyed our Christmas eve visits to repay the kindness of the people in Magna. Thank You for giving me so much.

I would like to invite others to share their most memorable Christmas stories. I would love to hear your memories because Christmas stories are my favorite to read. If your story is already posted leave a link so we can enjoy it too.