Christmas Treasures - Treasured Tradition

Treasured Tradition

PART ONE

Tim sat in the back seat of his father's car, staring out the side window without really seeing anything. He was bored! Christmas vacation had just started and now he was forced to leave all his friends, to visit his grandfather. Tim had been looking forward to this vacation. He wanted to get together with some of his friends and go to some Christmas parties. Now that he was old enough to understand mistletoe, he was eager to meet some girls. He was not ready to go steady with a girl, but there were many school dances coming up and he wanted to start meeting some girls so he would have a good list of prospects to choose from. Now he was going to miss all the fun just because his mother wanted to "do the family tradition thing." Hanging around a bunch of old people, a hundred miles away from anywhere, was not his idea of a "Merry Christmas." His mother tried to make things better by telling him he could learn to ski. She never asked him if that was what he wanted. He wanted to go to parties with his friends.

Tim sulked in the back seat. He did not notice the stern expression on his father’s face. John had given in to his wife's persistent "REQUESTS" to spend Christmas with her father. The weather was sunny and bright. The traffic was moving, though not as fast as John would have liked. John thought to himself, it really did not matter how fast the traffic moved--being stuck on the interstate or stuck at his father-in-law's house was equally boring.

John did not want to waste what little vacation time he had visiting relatives and listening to all the stories while his wife caught up on all the family gossip. John clenched his teeth and drove on. His eyes were fixed on some spot in the distance; both hands on the steering wheel in a white-knuckled grip and his jaw muscles were tight. It was not like John did not like Eve's family. He hardly knew Eve's father and now they were going to be stuck together in the same house for a week.

He did not know any of her old friends that well and reliving events of the past that he had no idea of who, what, where, or when was boring to him. He wanted to save up his vacation time to take the family on a real trip where they could relax and have fun in the sun. John did not like snow and the thought spending his vacation cooped up in a small house surrounded by deep fields of snow seemed like a total waste.

Now he would only have one week of vacation time left and that was not long enough to go anywhere. So, this summer would be like all the ones before, spent at home working in the yard. He was not happy with the situation and he let Eve know it by ignoring her.

Eve sat in silence cuddled against the passenger side of the car. She was no longer sure this trip, to see her father, was such a good idea. Originally, she envisioned the trip as a chance for the family to get away from everything and enjoy a quiet traditional Christmas. Her father still lived in the old family house high up in the mountains where the beauty of nature was not yet marred. Eve thought Tim would jump at a chance to learn how to ski, but judging from his mood she was no longer so sure.

She could not understand how his attitude. Why would her son prefer to hang around with the other teenagers instead of learning to ski? With these thoughts heavy on her mind, Eve sat with her shoulder pressed against the door, as she thought back to her childhood and the fun she had learning to ski with her father. She wanted to share with her family the joy of the Christmas Season that she remembered before it was too late.

Her mother passed away seven years ago and now she feared that there would not be many more chances to spend Christmas with her father. Joseph was 65, retired and proclaimed himself to be in good health. Still, Eve was worried. After all, her mother seemed to be in good health until a massive stroke snatched her away from the family that loved her dearly. After her mother’s death Eve realized how much her parents meant to her and she was determined to re-establish the old family traditions.

PART TWO

Joseph was greeted by six inches of fresh powdered snow when he opened the bedroom curtains. It was not the first snow of the season. The snow had been piling up for the last few weeks. Now there was over twenty inches on the slopes. He was happy, even though it meant he would have to shovel the sidewalk and driveway. He knew how much Eve loved to ski and the newly fallen snow would make it perfect for teaching his grandson how to ski. Joseph slowly got dressed and thought about how much fun he had with his daughter when he taught her how to ski. He wondered if Tim would be as eager to learn as Eve had been.

Joseph slowly went through his morning ritual. Seemed like everything he did took more time. He remembered a joke from a friend: "At your age if you get up in the morning and you don't have any pain, you had better check the obituary to make sure you are not dead." Joseph thought, "Then I must definitely be alive because I have a lot of pain this morning."

After he finished his breakfast, a third cup of coffee and waited for Bing Crosby to finish singing "White Christmas," he pulled on his heavy jacket, knit snow cap, and fur-lined gloves. He was not sure when his daughter would arrive and he wanted everything ready.

The frigid air slapped his face as he stepped out the door. The wind swept across the fresh powder, building snowdrifts around anything that stood in the way.

Joseph got the old well-used snow shovel and started to clear the sidewalk. He wanted to be finished when his daughter and her family arrived. His son had promised to come on Christmas day so the whole family would be together.

In his youth, he could clear the snow in just a half hour, but now he needed more than one hour to shovel the snow. By the time he cleared the snow from the walks, the sun was high in the sky reflecting off the snow in blinding brightness. He was chilled to the bone and eager to get back in the house. Heavy, dark clouds hung low on the distant horizon with the threat of more snow. Joseph stood looking out the kitchen window, sipping from a mug of coffee and hoped that he would be rested before his company arrived.

PART THREE

John was glad that he had taken his car in for winterizing. Where they lived it never snowed, but he was in the mountains now and the roads were becoming more and more treacherous. Last night’s snow was still piled high on the side of the roads where the plows deposited it. The glare of the sun reflecting off the snow made driving more difficult. Fighting his way through snow packed roads just gave John, even more, reasons why he did not want to make this trip.

Eve sat; fists clenched, knuckles white, nervously biting on the second knuckle of the first digit on her right hand. The snowstorm was not part of her plan and she was now fearful that her dream of a perfect Christmas might end in disaster.

Tim did not see or appreciate his parent's concerns. His boredom melted away rapidly as the scene outside froze. He saw some skiers carving long snake-like paths down the white powdery hillsides. The sun was high, only a fringe of dark clouds clung to the horizon. The dark figures of the skiers were contrasted sharply against the brightness of the sun reflecting off the snow. Tim craned his neck trying to get a better view of the action on the slopes, as his father struggled to drive through this winter wonderland.

Tim was so busy trying to watch the skiers he was caught by surprise when his father pulled off the road into a driveway. Tim jumped out of the car and grabbed a double handful of snow. Quickly he pressed the white powder into a ball. He could not resist the urge to throw it at his mother's back as she hurried toward the front door of her father's house.

Tim's aim was off, but his timing was perfect. The frozen projectile sailed over his mother's shoulder and hit his grandfather on the chest just as he opened the door, arms outspread, to great them. Tim was even more shocked by the way his grandfather agilely returned fire, as a big ball of snow splattered on his leg.

John had been busy getting the luggage out of the trunk and was now trudging toward the door. The stern looks on his face gave ample warning against any sneak attack. Seeing a break in the snow fight Eve rushed to her father and wrapped her arms around him. Joseph turned to John, hugged him and took some of the luggage.

Tim came running up and Joseph put his arm around him.

"My you are quite a big boy now Tim," he said, as pride and joy swelled within him and choked his voice. "You know how to ski yet, Tim?" Joseph inquired, as he helped them put their bags in the bedroom. "I taught your mother how to ski and I bet I can teach you. Now come on! We have to get down to the ski shop before they close, to get your boots and bindings," he said and ruffled Tim's hair.

It was not far to the shop, so they walked. Tim ran ahead and was jumping around waiting for his grandfather to catch up. Eve went to the bedroom to unpack. Tim's change of heart encouraged her, but John's attitude was still foreboding. She was sure this could be the best Christmas ever if everyone would just give it a chance. John came up behind her, put his arms around her waist, kissed her gently on her cheek and said how great it was to see Tim excited about being here. Eve turned, not breaking his embrace, to look him in the eye.

"What about you, John? Are you still upset about coming here?" She asked softly between kisses.

A smile spread across John's face as he pulled her closer. "Well . . . After seeing Tim and his grandfather together, I think it was a great idea and I am truly glad you talked me into coming," he told her.

"John, you have just given me the best gift ever. I was so concerned about you not being in the proper mood because you had other plans," she whispered in his ear just before she kissed him long, sweet and lovingly.

Eve started to hum a Christmas carol, as she unpacked. John started to help hang the clothes and both burst out in laughter and song as they hung up the clothes.

"Deck the Halls with Winter Clothes," reverberated through the house as one carol led to the next. They were both singing in the kitchen preparing a hot meal when Joseph and Tim returned with a pair of new skis and boots. Their faces were flush from the chill and as Eve looked at the two it was hard to say who was more excited. . ..

PART FOUR

Tim shook his head and sighed. That must have been over fifty years ago he thought to himself. With a grunt and a deep sigh, he stopped leaning on the snow shovel and started to clear the sidewalk again.

"Time really does fly and yet I remember that Christmas as if it were only yesterday," he mumbled to himself because there was no one around to listen to this old man. His wife died the summer before. She had been ill for many years and in the end, he was, in a very secret part of his heart, happy for her, happy that her pain and suffering was over. In the last few years, she did not want anyone to visit her, to see her in a way that could replace more pleasant images of her.

He glanced at his watch, it was getting late and his daughter, Grace, would be there soon with her family. Her son David would be turning thirteen in a few months. He had not seen him for seven years, except on the email photos Grace sent him. As he finished clearing the driveway, he looked down the long street leading to the highway to see if he could see their car.

"I wonder if he knows how to ski," he thought to himself as he was finished shoveling the glistening carpet from the walk. Tim went into the house and put on a fresh pot of coffee. He sat down near the front window to wait. While he waited, he pulled the old photo albums out. Though the pictures were yellowed with age, the memories were as bright and joyous as if they happened only yesterday.

He spent several minutes thumbing through the dusty old albums until he came to the page he had been looking for. The page only had three pictures on it. They were the last pictures of him with his grandfather Joseph, Uncle George and his mother Eve. His father was never seen, as he took all the pictures. Tim remembered his grandfather, Joseph, well though he died twenty years ago. Time is too short, and tomorrow is promised to no one.

Tim heard a car pull into the drive. He got up, determined to make this the best Christmas ever. He went to the door to greet and hold close those that meant the world to him. He had hidden a stack of snowballs behind a bush next to the door to throw at Dave when he got out of the car. He thought back to that day fifty some years ago and wondered if Grandfather Joseph had hidden some snowballs to throw at him. Fifty years from this day, would Dave remember to keep a pile of snowballs to throw at his grandson? Would this be the best Christmas ever?

These random thoughts were purged from his consciousness as he opened the door and a snowball exploded into crystalline chaos on the front porch. Tim grabbed his hidden stash of snowballs and retaliated. Dave was laughing and throwing snowballs, Grace was laughing, and her husband came running up with a huge snowball hidden behind his back to smash in Tim's face. The icy crystals chafed his face, but the tears in his eyes were not the result of physical pain. He could not speak; his voice was choked off by a lump the size of his heart. He wrapped his arms around all three of them. Short of breath, they went in the house and as a family united, they celebrated the joy of the season. Yes, this was, like all the rest, the best Christmas ever!

Epilogue

The Christmas Treasures are a collection of traditions that are built upon over the years. Traditions are like roots that give us the strength to weather the storms of life. Take a few minutes this Christmas season to think back upon family traditions and let them enrich your family’s Christmas Treasure to bring you joy and cheer.