In my eighth grade year, my mom created a Christmas special memory for me.
She led the signing choir at church. I was part of this group, and we performed at the late church service that year. We sang “Silent Night” in German and performed sign language to the verses. As a young teen I thought this was magical.
Mom promised a special treat for us after our performance. We weren’t allowed to wait in the church basement beforehand like usual. We wondered what the surprise may be, whispering quietly in the church lobby.
Excited to stay up past midnight with my friends, after the service I hurried to the basement in my satin dress and shoes. I wore the same dress I’d worn in Mom’s wedding just two months ago. I loved getting dressed up for Christmas in my favorite color: purple.
Mom had set up a beautiful banquet table with her Christmas china. We had cloth napkins and full place settings. She told us to take our places, complete with name cards, and wait to be served.
She brought out real hot cocoa, made from scratch with rich cocoa powder, sugar, and whole milk. She poured it into our delicate tea cups. We spooned on our own marshmallows. We toasted each other and lifted our cups with our pinkies out, giggling at each other.
She served us all kinds of homemade cookies along with store-bought fancy striped rolls with hazelnut crème piped inside. Those cookies crunched when I bit into them and then the delicious nut crème filled my mouth with pleasure. They blended perfectly with my rich hot cocoa.
At that beautiful table lit with candles, I felt special and grown-up. I knew this was my last Christmas at my school, and I looked forward with excitement on the new year to come. I laughed and smiled with my friends who shared my excitement.
That night I sat right in the middle of the bridge between childhood and adulthood. I cast my current worries aside. I had no idea of the hard times to come. I simply reveled in a moment of feeling fancy, enjoying the girlish fun of a tea party with a grown-up twist.
That evening was the best gift my mom could have given me at the time. I wanted to feel grown up but I still needed time to enjoy being thirteen. Mom knew chocolate would please me, as it still does. I think she knew I needed to feel special in that year of so much transition. I’m glad she showed her love for me on the early hours of that Christmas morning in 1990.
Questions for you:
How did your mom create special Christmas memories for you?
Did you enjoy getting dressed up for Christmas, or were fancy clothes not your thing?
What is your favorite sweet treat at Christmas?
Does your family use special china at Christmastime?
P.S. Today is Day 4 of 12 Days of Reader Tips for Christmas Peace. Be sure to leave a comment on my related Facebook post with your tip!