Traditions
From Daddy
Christmas
Lights
Christmas is
always a time of reflection for me. It's a time when I think about all the
things that make Christmas so special.
It’s hard to
believe that another year has passed us by again. Every time around this year I
start to reflect on the many traditions Daddy has passed down to our family. You know at first I never thought he passed
anything down but every year I find another tradition instilled in me by my
family.
This year I’m
reflecting back on what Christmas lights meant to my daddy and the tradition he
gave me. This came to mind when Marlon
and I were driving along and down the street near our condo. We both at the same time saw a house all lit
up with a variety of Christmas lights. I
chuckled to myself at the display and how they were placed upon their house.
Marlon proceeded to tell me that these were people from another nation who
probably just wanted to fit into the American’s Christmas traditions of
decorating their home with lights.
I then start reflecting
back on the joy Christmas lights meant to my daddy. Many, many, times my Daddy
would load up all us kids in the back of the pickup truck and head to Ludlow
Falls. Christmas lights must have meant allot to my Daddy because he not only
made sure we got to go every year but also people from our church. It’s so funny how something as simple as
lights strung around a falls could bring so many people to gaze at them.
I will always
remember the delight on my Daddy’s face when he would pick each of us to put us
in the truck. He was just so happy to
take us to see this spectacular sight of lights. We would crawl in to the bed of that truck
with the cap on top; it was so cold back there you could see your breath.
As children
though we were so excited about taking this trip the cold didn’t seem to bother
any of us. We would all sing Christmas
songs as we traveled to the falls. There
was also lots of talking going on about what we wanted to tell Santa we wanted
for Christmas. I could see my Daddy driving with such a big grin on his face
happy to be taking us to see the lights.
When we
arrived at our destination Daddy would unload all us children one by one. As we each stood and gazed down at the falls
we oooooo’d and awed at the falls with all the lights. There was also loud
Christmas music playing which filled your hearts with joy at the beautiful
sight in front of us.
It was so
cold on the trek down to the falls, even though we were bundled up. At the
end of the trial you could stand and look at the water flowing over the falls
with the beauty of Christmas lights shining through the water. A barrel had been placed at the end of the
journey, inside was a nice warm fire burning, and my family would stand and
gaze at the falls and get warm. Sometimes
it would be snowing and this would make the falls even prettier than ever. AWWWWW the beauty and delight this gave us.
Now that we
are warm it’s time for the journey to the fire house where hot cocoa and
cookies await us children. Did I also say that Santa was there too? As we trekked back up the hill we were
laughing and talking about what we were going to tell Santa we wanted for
Christmas. By the time we reached the
fire house our noses looked like Rudolf’s and we were so ready for that hot
cocoa and cookies.
The cocoa was
waiting on us, at first we used it to warm our hands and then sip on the hot
beverage inside. After taking several
sips of the cocoa we were ready to eat on those cookies. Daddy would stand
nearby with a big grin on his face and watch us as we all stood and drank our cocoa’s
and talk about the lights and the beauty of them. Boy did I love this time of the year. Daddy seemed to love it also because he would
do so many fun things with us, making traditions that will last my lifetime. Thanks, daddy for making this time of the year
so special for our family.
Daddy would
tell us, kids, to hurry up and quit playing around and get in line to see Santa. It’s starting to snow pretty hard outside and
we needed to be heading home. As we all stood in line waiting our turn to talk
to Santa, daddy would be watching all of us with a beautiful grin again on his
face. I’m sure he was thinking how lucky
he was to have his family, and take us to this special place. It was daddy’s way of spending some quality
time with his children at Christmas time.
I thought my
turn would never get here to sit on Santa’s lap. I jumped on his lap and told him what I
wanted for Christmas. Santa would always
give us a small bag of candy and a piece of fruit. Oh the joy and memories my daddy made with us
on this special journey to the falls.
Ludlow Falls
has closed so I can’t take my grandchildren to see them but I still enrich the
thrill of the Christmas lights into them by taking them to Wild Lights at the
Zoo. Another tradition I will pass down to them……
Traditions
are very important. For children, traditions are stability in a hectic season,
something to look forward to year after year.
Love you
Daddy and thanks again for leaving such wonderful traditions for me and my
family.
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