Vol. 23 No. 12 December 2024

Publisher Catalyst Communications Network

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What type of Christmas child were you? Were you the type of kid who would leave milk and cookies out for Santa? Did you stay up all night trying to catch him putting gifts under the tree? Or perhaps you were one of those naughty kids who refused to believe and tried snooping for presents all over your home?

I’ ll admit, I was one of those naughty kids who knew all my parents’ best hiding spots around the house. In my defense, I was the youngest of three boys, so really, I was just doing what my brothers taught me to do!

It didn’ t take long for my parents to start wrapping gifts as soon as they brought them home. Of course, that didn’ t stop me from snooping, but it did teach me how to carefully unwrap presents and delicately wrap them back up so nobody could tell the difference.( I’ m kidding, I was never that careful, and the paper always ripped way too easily!)

As I grow older, I wish I would have embraced those childhood days more and not spoiled so much of that traditional“ Christmas magic.” However, despite already knowing the majority of the gifts we were going to receive each and every year, my family and I made some great memories regardless, and isn’ t that truly what the season is about?

For my family, some of our best memories came from our cherished traditions, which included one gag gift a year; being allowed to open just one gift after church every year on Christmas Eve, and the finale of all gift-opening festivities— our epic wrapping paper fights. Oh, and if you could trick one of your siblings into opening their gag gift to you as your one gift on Christmas Eve, it will be a memory that lasts forever— good or bad.( Huge thanks to my brothers for that Barbie on Christmas Eve, which had 6-year-old me throwing the biggest fit ever.)

Sometimes even the worst memories eventually become the memories we cherish most. Every year my brothers love to retell the Barbie story— as a kid, I was so upset when that happened. But, as an adult, I have to admit that they got me pretty good, and it has now become the memory that always brings us together this time of year, even when we’ re not getting along.

Happy holidays, Brian Ethridge

Comments? Story ideas? Questions? Send them to brian. ethridge @ catcomnet. com.

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