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What My Kids Taught Me About The True Meaning Of Christmas

I am pretty sure all of us have many great memories from our childhood Christmas’, and if we thought about them, we would smile all day. My greatest Christmas memory is of my mom cooking the best dinners and desserts anyone could ever imagine.

She would always let me help by shredding the coconut for the desserts and the cheese for the macaroni. Of course, I usually ate half of what I grated, but she never complained.

As for gifts, the ones I held the closest to my heart was my juicy blender and easy bake oven. With those two things, I emulated my mom. Even though they were toys, a battery operated blender and light bulb operated oven, they allowed me to make the best drinks and brownies ever.

Even if they tasted horrible, my dad was there, right by my side, eating and drinking my juice and brownies as if my mom had made them, herself. Those were the best moments.

Now that I’m older and have kids of my own, I can’t help but get excited for them as Christmas draws near. I take into thought all of my childhood Christmas’ and pray my husband and I are able to provide the same surroundings our parents did.

We want our kids to be able to create their own great Christmas memories for many years to come. What I have come to learn as this very special holiday draws near is our kids are nothing like we were when we were their age.

When I was little, I couldn’t wait for December. It was during that time the local Sunday paper would send out a special toy section from Toys R’Us for the holidays. I used to get that Sunday paper and draw a circle around every toy I couldn’t live without. My sister and brothers did the same thing, but whomever got the circular first, got the first pick at the best toys of their choice.

Although Toys R’Us is still around today, things are certainly different in the Somerville household. What we wanted and what my kids want are definitely two different things.

Honestly speaking, I can’t recall buying my parents much of anything for Christmas as a child. I did, however, make the best darn art projects my little hands could muster up in school.

I was an A plus student in art class. I drew, painted, colored, cut, and glued my little beaded braids off in that class. As for my kids, while they are truly great artists themselves, they actually gave me store bought items for Christmas.

Once kindergarten started, for the first few years of school, until they could really earn some money, I believe I received every Angel statue the local Dollar Store could stock. I wasn’t sure if I received these Angel statues because that was how they saw me, or if that was all they could afford.

I’m not going to lie, initially, for the first few years of Christmas Angel gifts; I thought the gift represented how they saw me. As years went by, I started to believe that while they did love me with all of their heart’s desires, these Christmas Angels were my present because of funds rather than how they saw me.

READ MORE AT WOMEN’S VOICES MAGAZINE

Doretha Yvette Somerville
Doretha Yvette Somerville
DORETHA Yvette Somerville is a native of Brooklyn, New York, and she currently resides in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. She is a mother of 5, wife, veteran soldier, Social Worker and full time student attending Fayetteville State University working towards her Master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

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