I love the Christmas holiday season. I have loved this season since I was a young child because my mother went to great lengths to make this a special time for our family. She would bake wonderful sweets and cook special meals. We did not have a great deal of extra money to spend on the holidays so mom would save money throughout the year to use for the holidays. She also supplemented the holiday money by making and selling beautiful holiday crafts. She made ornaments, Christmas stockings and center pieces. Her most money she ever made on one item was the sale of a Christmas tree skirt. She had made this for our family’s tree, but the banker’s wife saw it and insisted on buying it. She offered mom four times what it had cost in materials, so mom sold it to her.

Each time I see a Christmas tree skirt I think back to that Christmas. We each received an extra gift that year. I remember that I received a watch and my sister received a Barbie doll. My brother was given a transistor radio. My mom was excited about being able to give us each something extra special, but she was disappointed that her beautiful Christmas tree skirt was not under our tree. She had put a great deal of time into making the skirt. It was appliquéd and also had sequins and beads sewn on it. My mom has always been a very giving person and I felt bad that there was nothing extra under the tree for her that year. I talked to my dad about this and he agreed that we should get something extra special for mom for her birthday. Mom’s birthday is four days after Christmas. Dad took us kids shopping the day after Christmas. He is not a shopper, so for him to make the effort to be out in the crowds was special in itself.  We found a Christmas tree skirt at one of the upscale department stores. The skirt was beautiful. Being it was the day after Christmas it was on sale for half price. It was still very expensive, but dad agreed that it would be perfect for mom. The store wrapped it in beautiful pink flowered paper with cloth ribbons. We were all very excited to give it to mom. Dad decided that he would take mom out for dinner on the night of her birthday and that we would have cake and ice cream when they returned home.

We were more excited about mom opening her present than we had been to open our Christmas gifts. Mom was surprised when they returned home and she saw the birthday cake that we had baked and decorated for her. I remember her fingering the beautiful ribbons of the present before opening it. She loved the Christmas tree skirt and shed tears when she opened the box. That was the Christmas season when I learned that it is better to give than to receive.