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Chuck Hinman: MERRY CHRISTMAS, MOM Short story: A Chuck Hinman Sunday, Christmas short story. The next previous Chuck Hinman story: SNOW ICE CREAM -CM As with all front page stories on CM, Click on Headline for full story, with photos, if any (Contact the author at: charles.hinman @sbcglobal.net) Copyright Chuck Hinman; reprinted with author's permission MERRY CHRISTMAS, MOM It's kind of early Christmas eve, too early to go to bed. The football game isn't very interesting and frankly I am lonesome this time of year without Connie. I realize I am not the only one for whom Christmas can be a very lonely time. That feeling is a relatively new one for me. You see Connie passed away a few days after Christmas last year. Bored, I decided to check my E-mail to see if there was anything exciting in my "In" box. Understandably, all my friends must be with their families, or at church, opening Christmas gifts, driving around looking at the Christmas lights, or any of a myriad of things foe which Christmas is a family thing. Even my "in" box looked closed for the holidays. But there was one E-M entitled "Christmas Story" which didn't immediately prick my interest. I was so restless I didn't know what I was looking for. I had an option of reading or deleting and I didn't feel led strongly either way. Something made the decision for me and I started wading through another of those impersonal E-M's that I normally delete on sight. It was thee story of a ten-year old boy who wanted to get something for his mom for Christmas. But he only had ten pennies. He went into a flower shop as they were closing on Christmas eve. He asked the manager "You don't have any flowers for ten cents, do you", he said as though anticipating the answer. The manager, even though very tired, sensed an unusual need and without needing to know the details went to the back of his shop. When he returned, he had an eye-popping arrangement of red roses. He told the boy "This bouquet is on special sale and it is exactly ten cents - would it possibly do?" The little boy stepped to the counter and with glistening eyes, smiled and said softly "Oh yes, thank you Mister!" I was caught up emotionally in the story. It brought to mind an experience when I was a ten-year old boy. It was in the depression days of the1930's. I wanted to get a Christmas present for my mom. I only had a dollar to spend. There was a Hested dime store in Beatrice, Nebraska so I went in to see what I could find for a Christmas present for Mom that only cost a dollar. I saw this ruby-red glass serving-plate. It was perfect and I was thrilled at my find. It turned out it was depression glass that over the years has become a collectors item. I had just exactly enough money for it. I was so excited because it would be the first gift I had ever given my mom. I took it home and secretly wrapped it the best a 10-year old boy could. On Christmas morning, Mom didn't have many presents but I remember being so thrilled that she had a present from me - the very first. Many Christmases have come and gone. I am 86 years old. Isn't it interesting that my memory of the details of most Christmases I have experienced, with much more expensive gifts have been mostly forgotten. But the Christmas where the gift was inexpensive by today's standards and more importantly that I was the giver not the receiver, has been inscribed indelibly in my memory. When Mom passed away in 1973, she left hand-written bequests of special things in her house. Because I had given her the ruby-red serving plate, that was to be mine. It was part of Connie's and my household for forty-five years. After Connie was overtaken with Alzheimer's Disease, we didn't do much entertaining and this beautiful plate didn't have much use. We had been members of a home Bible study class for fifty years. It was common practice for the hostess to serve light refreshments at the close of each study. One time in recent years, the teacher and his wife, our special friends, Chuck and Fran McCarthy hosted the luncheon at the close of the study in their lovely home. Fran had a complete set of the ruby-red depression glass and she honored us all by serving the luncheon using their beautiful dishes. I observed that they did not appear to have the single service plate we had, Mom's Christmas present from me in the depression days on the farm near Liberty, Nebraska. In the days following the luncheon, I became smitten with the thought of presenting Mom's one piece of depression glass with all it's special significance in our family to Fran and Chuck in appreciation of their faithful service as our Bible mentors. They were professionals in the food business - sharing the Bread of Life. So, in time, my Christmas present to my dear Mom became a part of Fran's and Chuck's considerable collection of ruby-red depression glass where it belonged. Both Mom, long since passed away and Connie, deep in the throes of Alzheimer's Disease would have whole heartedly endorsed my decision. Written on Christmas eve 2003 by Mom's son, Chuck Hinman This story was posted on 2008-12-21 08:53:46
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Chuck Hinman: SNOW ICE CREAM Chuck Hinman: CAREGIVING 101 Chuck Hinman: A MAN NAMED BOB Chuck Hinman #160: Pew, I smell gasoline! View even more articles in topic Chuck Hinman - Reminiscences |
 
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