A Christmas Story 2019

"A toast to my big brother, George. The richest man in town."

Harry Bailey - It's A Wonderful Life


For a child, Christmas Eve is a magical time filled with an overwhelming sense of anticipation. The mystical prospects of the following morning are almost too much to bear. But eventually, the sun comes up and the euphoric journey to the Christmas tree begins.  Overnight, the seeds that were planted under the tree have grown into full blossoms of excitement....

I look back on my childhood Christmas mornings. My parents were far from rich, at least in the monetary sense. But they did their best to put something under the tree that would put a smile on my face. Of course, this was back in the pre-PlayStation age where gifts were a lot cheaper. The most sophisticated electronics game that I ever received was a handheld Mattel football game where the players were represented by a few bright red dashes. Yes, it was primitive by today's standards, but back then it was electronic bliss.

On one particular Christmas morning, I was a bit disappointed to see that some of my gifts seemed to be pre-opened. Upon further inspection, I realized that these were actually second-hand gifts. My Dad used to dabble in flea markets and yard sales, so my assumption was that these items were picked up during his travels. Selfishly, I envisioned all of my friends unwrapping their brand new Christmas presents while I tried to make sense out of my recycled collection. How could my parents give me hand-me-downs for Christmas presents? To be honest, I felt a wee-bit slighted.

But as the day went on, I began to feel guilty. As the dim light bulb in my head began to illuminate, I realized that my parents were doing the best that they could. Whether they ordered my gifts from the beloved Montgomery Ward catalog or picked them up at a yard sale, it didn't really matter. The fact that they made an effort was enough for me. As the evening approached, I remember apologizing to my Mom about the way I felt that morning. But I still carried the guilt for quite some time for ever questioning my parent's love or generosity.

On a side note, I was fortunate enough to go to Cardinal Gibbons High School back in the day. You might question how my parents afforded to send me there. The truth of the matter is that my great-grandmother had always seen something in me that I could never seem to find in myself. And she always had high regards for CGHS. So, it was her wish that I go there. Knowing that my parents could never afford it, she left enough money in her will to cover my tuition. Sadly, she passed away before my freshman year but I will always be grateful for what she did for me. I'm not sure if I will ever meet her high expectations, but I will never stop trying.

Although material things can be fun and exciting, they pale in comparison to the intangible things that unite and inspire us. If there's one thing that I've learned through life, it's that you don't need a lot of money to be rich.

May each of you have a Merry Christmas.....

kw