The Write Tribe Festival of Words. Day 1: Memory

The Write Tribe Festival of Words. This is an exciting blogging event from December 8th to December 14, 2013

I"m doing it!  Today is day 1: Memory/Memories

No matter what is happening to me or around the world, this time of year always makes me happy.  It's so corny I know, but the world could use more corny and a lot less reality.

When I was a kid... the oldest of 4, my mom and her three sisters would start the daily calls of recipe swaping, Christmas gift buying, who saw what specialty item where.  Our house was filled with the busyness of noise, Motown Christmas music and us running through the house trying to listen in on "grown folks" conversations.

Listening in... ear hustling was the only way we could find out what was happening with my mother and her sisters.  My Mother was an old school Black woman... kids were not allowed to mix in with adults uninvited.  Meaning you better take your butt out of ear shot or catch some punishment.  But still we tried.

From Christmas to New Year's I can feel myself looking to recreate some of that youthful Christmas magic for my own kids, or maybe for my own self.  The truth is somewhere in the middle.

The smell of sweet potato pies, turkey, biscuits, potato salad, collard greens. God, I can still smell all of that feast. My happiest times for sure.  These gatherings anchored me, they were dependable and uplifting.

When I went off to college, the highlight was coming home at Christmas.  It was the time I renewed my spirit and eat with real joy!  My Brothers and Sister and I still laugh about our childhood holidays.  It is amazing to have those memories in the face of such great trauma and pain and sadness. We grew up with abuse and it has stayed with each of us.  Christmas however, mellows out that mess allowing us to enjoy the gifts of Christmas.  And as I get older the gifts become more apparent with each passing year.  I'm still here.  I have children of my own. My life is pretty damn good.

It is my wish that my children will look back on our holidays and have equally fond memories.  I hope their  memories are restorative, warming and joyous. I hope their memories will wrap around them like a old blanket and old friends.  Long after I leave this physical realm, I pray that the memories we are making as we speak carries them through their loves bringing a real sense of home and connectedness.

I love this time of year.  My memories swirl around like fancy dancers, inviting me to join in.

I do.