A Creative Christmas

By Barb Franzen –

What are we searching for come Black Thursday? Is any of it genuinely lasting as in the memories that come from rare moments that have little to do with stores but more with faith or something beyond what we can describe?

Recently, while my husband was driving, I read a true story about folks caught in a mountain cabin at Christmas. This was years ago but it could have been today. It was with bits of torn cloth, berries, string, pieces of a bough, that gifts were made. The meal came from venison and vegetables found in the cabin along with some dough made from what flour remained, and there were games and singing among the people. It was of the most joyous and happiest of Christmases I’d read about. When finished, I wanted the experience for myself.

I asked my husband what we could make for one another if snowed in at our cabin. Following a pause for thinking, he said that he could make me a rocking horse like the one we’d just seen at Bess Streeter Aldrich’s home.

It was adorable -homemade of tree trunks. I would be most happy to have that for my gift. As for what I could give him-I have a cookie tray and could bake -or I could write love poems. Since we both sing we could look out at the stars and do the duets we did long ago in our church-Silent Night-O Holy Night-Noel-and many other lovely songs. We could add made up stories. If we had a family, I’d record and we could each go about saying what we are most thankful for.

In my experience as a therapist, children were happiest over parents who loved each other and also over decorating a tree. By decorating I mean taking foil and making designs, construction paper for more designs, making chains and stinging cranberries and, if possible, putting up a real tree. The things you can do together with a tree are endless. Remember what it’s like to see the joy of a tree singing out from a window-it’s such a spiritual thing. Add some bells from a nearby church and it’s dreamlike.

Back to modern day and homes. What would be wrong with a ten dollar present for those who aren’t needy and what would it be like to take a sack of food instead to the hungry? I know. I’ve done it. Hungry children abound in America. Isn’t Christmas about caring for the poor, the hungry, the cold, the widows, those who are without a smile for the discomfort and worries of poverty? Let’s unite and give. In the meantime, have a joyful time finding unique ways to celebrate the life of Christ. Joy will be yours.

Barb Franzen lives a prairie life in the Platte Valley of NB. A nature lover she is passionate about writing. Other interests include genealogy, mental health, reading and quilting-Her favorite thing is painting pictures with words and discovering out of the way haunts-A woman who lives outside of the box- You can find her at her blog at: http://gabbi-innerjoy.blogspot.com/