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| The Vase (A Christmas Story)
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Everyone is looking for the Christmas spirit. I remember having it as a kid, at least I think I had it. I remember being excited about Christmas and looking forward to the presents and getting together with cousins and things like that, but did I ever really have the Christmas spirit? I found the answer to this question the other day when I was cleaning off the top of my entertainment center.
What I found was an ugly green glass vase that stands about a foot high and has a lid on it. It kind of looks like a candy dish sitting in a tree and it doesn't match anything in my living room. I'm not exactly an interior decorator but even I know this is not a sought after piece of art, however, at one point in my life I must have thought it was beautiful. I bought this thing for my Grandmother when I was about ten years old. I had saved some money from doing yard work in the summer and fall that year (saving? what's that?) and though I think I had myself in mind for spending that money I decided to buy my Grandparents something instead. I had never bought them anything before that, or at least not on my own, and I guess it was my way of showing them how grown up I had become.
I bought my Grandmother the vase and my Grandfather got a record album of a funny, countryish, semi-religious comedian by the name of Wendy Bagwell. He was kind of like our Blue Collar comedians of today, but with more of an emphasis on religion. My Grandmother acted like she really liked the vase (it had to be an act now that I see the vase through my adult eyes) and displayed it for all to see in her living room where it remained until her death. My Grandfather played that album to anyone who would listen to it and laughed full belly laughs at each listening. I was in my late twenties the last time I heard it.
I don't know where the album went after Grandpa's death but I ended up with Grandma's vase. I have had it for about twenty years and even though I have had it on display in my living room for all this time, I had forgotten it's significance until this year. I have had the Christmas spirit. I have had the Christmas spirit every time I have given something to someone where I put their wants and needs before my own wants and needs. I could have spent my earned and saved treasure on myself. Grandpa and Grandma wouldn't have missed those two presents, after all, I had never bought them anything before. It's not like they wouldn't have loved me anymore. I bought them those presents to show them how grown up I was and I ended up with the best present of all...the Christmas Spirit. I felt good about myself because I had done something selfless. This is the spirit we have somehow lost and are searching for.
All of a sudden we have this much money and we have this many people to buy for and we have this much time off and this many people to visit. We end up exhausted and almost cynical about Christmas and wonder what is it all for? My answer to that is that I don't have a clue to what that is all for. It certainly doesn't have anything to do with Christ, but this year I decided I would do something in the spirit of Christmas. I think I will give a little bit of my time to those I love. It doesn’t cost a cent. I think I can muster up some quality time to show people that I love, that I do indeed value what is most important in the world…love.
If you are in search of the Christmas spirit this year, it's right there in your heart where it always has been. Do something selfless and you will find the Christmas spirit.
You know, I don't think Grandma was acting after all.
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Posted by Pauligan on 2007-12-13 06:03:55 | Rating: | Views: 82
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What a sweet story Pauligan,
I couldn't help but have a giggle when you said your grandmother must have been acting that she liked the vase now that you have seen it through adult eyes... but I think you're right, I don't think she was acting after all.
X
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Posted by loveBITES
on 2007-12-13 06:48:33
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Thanks BITES, I'm glad to have you back around. I missed you.
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Posted by Pauligan
on 2007-12-13 06:57:41
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Thanks Paul..I've been stalling on the Christmas spirt this year, not much of the Gang will be home for it,in fact havent even put up a tree, just didn't have the spirt too until I read this post this morning, and now after thinking about it most of the day I remembered that most of the ornaments we have were all made by the kids...So thanks to you Paul I'm going to go out and kill a tree and put it up and remember where all those ornaments came from..
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Posted by Wayne
on 2007-12-13 17:20:55
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Thanks Wayne, I hope your Christmas goes well. Even if it was just you and Linda that sounds like a pretty good Christmas to me.
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Posted by Pauligan
on 2007-12-13 22:30:40
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Gee Paul.
You have me weeping over Grandma's vase.
Put some flowers in it will you?
Her favorite kind.
You are such a gem, really you are.
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Posted by DifficultSoul
on 2007-12-14 23:30:56
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You have me blushing, LftH, but then again you always do. xx
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Posted by Pauligan
on 2007-12-15 06:13:38
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I never knew I made you blush.
Hmmm...I just may use that against you.
hehe
Kidding.
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Posted by DifficultSoul
on 2007-12-17 01:47:04
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