The Christmas Child

The late December wind whipped around our little country cottage. It was cold outside but inside it was warm and cozy. A low burning fire was dying a slow death in the fireplace and exposing embers of red and white. Christmas was coming fast, as fast as a runaway train with no brakes, but around our house the Christmas spirit had not yet entered into our little private world. Mama lay in her feather bed pregnant with her fifth and last child. Her feet were badly swollen which prevented her from baking her fabulous fruit cakes, cookies and gingerbread creations. Her due date was near Christmas day, and she seemed restless and depressed. There were no presents under the Christmas tree. Would Santa Claus bring any gifts for Christmas 1952? I was happy that a brother or sister was joining our family but in my eight-year-old mind, the event was disrupting the joyous season that our family had always enjoyed at Christmas time.

With each passing day, Christmas Day was drawing nearer. Would mama be in the hospital, and would we miss Christmas Church services at our local church? On the 18th of December, a baby girl came into our home. Mama named her Mary Beth, which honored Jesus Christ’s mother, Mary, and mama’s baby sister, Beth, who had died in a tragic house fire. It was the best Christmas I ever had. Mama was able to get all her Christmas cooking done and I got a new bicycle and a little baby sister, which was the greatest gift of all.

The late December wind whipped around our little country cottage. It was cold outside but inside it was warm and cozy. A low burning fire was dying a slow death in the fireplace and exposing embers of red and white. Christmas was coming fast, as fast as a runaway train with no brakes, but around our house the Christmas spirit had not yet entered into our little private world. Mama lay in her feather bed pregnant with her fifth and last child. Her feet were badly swollen which prevented her from baking her fabulous fruit cakes, cookies and gingerbread creations. Her due date was near Christmas day, and she seemed restless and depressed. There were no presents under the Christmas tree. Would Santa Claus bring any gifts for Christmas 1952? I was happy that a brother or sister was joining our family but in my eight-year-old mind, the event was disrupting the joyous season that our family had always enjoyed at Christmas time.

With each passing day, Christmas Day was drawing nearer. Would mama be in the hospital, and would we miss Christmas Church services at our local church? On the 18th of December, a baby girl came into our home. Mama named her Mary Beth, which honored Jesus Christ’s mother, Mary, and mama’s baby sister, Beth, who had died in a tragic house fire. It was the best Christmas I ever had. Mama was able to get all her Christmas cooking done and I got a new bicycle and a little baby sister, which was the greatest gift of all.