They begin the season by cleaning the whole house top to bottom. They hang up the lights and decorate each room with a small seasonal display: a candle, an ornament, a piece of gold ribbon or foil, a mini tree decorated with colored beads, stockings hung by the fireplace….
They do not have a lot of money, but this does not deter them from enjoying the season. They expect no presents, and they do not have the funds to give much. They will make plates of cookies to give away to friends and neighbors. Mama will not be able to resist her tradition of buying everyone matching pajamas. She buys snowman nighties for the girls and plaid pajama pants for the boys with matching t-shirts.
The old couple give each other Christmas by paying bills and allowing themselves to “buy into the season.” They have had many years of sad little Christmases, alone in their robes and slippers, huddled up against it. They play Christmas carols on the stereo and sing along.
She sets the table with their best china and linen, and lights the candles she has placed around the room. She reads The Gift of the Magi to him out loud and with dramatic inflection… She cuts her hair to buy him a gold chain for his watch. He sells his watch to buy her a tortoise shell comb for her long beautiful hair…. In the end they get an i-phone to share. She thinks that’s what’s holding this world together; a gold chain, a tortoise shell hair clip, and the i-phone…
They eat chicken pot pies with cottage cheese in front of the fire place, and watch It’s a Wonderful Life on TV while they eat quietly. They enjoy each minute they spend in this beautiful world filled with love, pain and suffering, redemption and forgiveness. Merry Christmas!
(First published 12/6/11)
