""Christmas Times of the Past""
Those long ago Christmas times of old,
my first memories, probably 1954, when I was 4 years old.
After school began in the late month of summer,
then Halloween, Thanksgiving and our thoughts turned to Christmas presents,
this I do surely remember.
During those long ago Christmas time years,
necessities took priority, but still a few toys would appear.
Gloves, mittens, hats, coats, socks and shoes,
but my siblings and I still wanted lots of toys too.
Only a true live Christmas Tree would do,
if there were artificial trees, I guess our parents never knew.
The old decorations, many carefully made from past Christmas school years,
with those unique magnificent colorful bubble lights,
as I think back, my eyes do tear.
Our dad would sometimes play Santa on Christmas Eve,
but we knew the truth and were not at all deceived.
As I remember the Christmas times of old,
the wonderful stories that could now be told.
Those long ago years of Christmas time fun
quickly flew by, and we became parents of daughters and sons.
The year of 1973, a precious December I remember so well
when our daughter was 7 months old, her first Christmas to tell
And her second year in 1974, she being 19 months old at Christmas time.
Excitement would overtake me and I gave her all the Christmas toys early,
what a ridiculous crime.
Feeling foolish since more gifts I had to purchase before Christmas Day,
just because I couldn't wait and was the naughtiest kid of all, I have to say.
As a few more Christmas years did soar,
then a baby brother would now complete our family of four.
As the years passed and our children grew,
Christmas gifts became a much more difficult task, we certainly now knew.
Celebrating the Christmas of 2003 with our entire family would sadly be our last.
April of 2004 would bring the shattering of our hearts,
leaving only those precious memories with our daughter from previous
Christmas Times of the Past!!!!!!