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I was doing some Christmas
shopping
in a great big shopping
mall;
there were stores on every side of
it,
even set up down the
hall.
I was looking for a special
gift
but things all looked
the same,
the clothes and toys and
videos,
and those new
'lectronic games.
Another thing, in every
store
that always
looked the same
were signs that read:
"Have an Old-Fashioned
Christmas and thank you, come
again!
Now folks, I'm no spring
chicken,
I've seen more
than fifty Christmas' pass;
it's not the
gifts that mean the most
it's all the fond memories that last.
I
remember an old fashioned
Christmas
when we'd chop
down a fresh cedar tree;
we'd string lots of
rosehips and popcorn;
the
trimmin's were homemade and free.
The
stockings we hung on Christmas
eve
were the kind that
came off of our feet
we'd always leave
cookies we'd made with our moms so
Santa'd have something to eat.
Of course,
Santa came every Christmas
but he'd only leave one special toy,
or maybe
some clothes or a new pair of
boots;
just one thing for
each girl and boy.
You never were
fighting no mobs or crowds
in a great big shopping mall;
we'd just go to
town on Saturday night,
the local Dime Store had most all
of
anything one could ever
want,
and every one-horse
town
was full of friends and
neighbors;
folks would
drive in for miles around.
The women
would trade their cream and
eggs
for groceries, and of
course, Christmas candy; that was the only
credit back then
before
Credit Cards got easy and handy.
We'd
have the best Christmas
programs
at the church and
the old country school;
the men would all
stand in the back of the
room,
there was a shortage
of chairs as a rule.
And remember how
Grandma and Grandpa
would
bring only one gift for us all?
It was
usually homemade and
practical
.....back then,
grandparents didn't buy out the mall!
And
that good old Christmas
music
didn't come from no
stereo set;
just dad on his fiddle, we'd all
join in;
it still is the
best music yet.
Speaking of dad, he'd get
out the Bible
and read us
that old Christmas story;
it wasn't about
Santa or elves or a sleigh
but it sure filled our hearts with
joy.
See, I remember an
"old
fashioned Christmas"
like
those signs read all over that mall.
I will
bet you'll agree, after listenin' to
me
that the "old
fashioned" kinds best of
all! |
