Apparently our homeschool group has a yearly tradition of stealing ornaments. It’s called the annual Christmas Tea for homeschool moms in our area. We bring an ornament, wrap it, and then call out a number, unwrap the gift, or steal an ornament from someone else.
I know, it sounds bizarre, but we do it, and it’s a lot of fun. For example, I unwrapped a Yankee candle. Someone said to hand it over, and I said, laughing, “It smells terrible.” She insisted that I pass it over, and she said, “It’s a Yankee candle. These are good.” She said the word “Yankee” at least 3 or 4 times, and I told her kindly to shut her trap. But no. The next woman to pick a present stole my candle. I said, “It’s because you said Yankee, Yankee, Yankee so many times, as if we were in a war or something.” Everyone burst out laughing as I chose another gift.
We also bring lots of Christmas hors d’oeuvres, you know, yummy food that makes you fat so that you have to diet in January. That kind of food.
Then it was time to share Christmas memories. Someone shared that she had met her husband on Christmas Day, and that they talked all night, and that they always celebrate Christmas Day as the day they met. I thought it was a bit sappy that they got engaged on Valentines Day and got married on Easter, but whatever. I just imagine a lot of high pressure on the man to have to make each of those days extra special for the rest of his life. But maybe he likes it; who knows?
Someone else shared that her family of nine children got together for the first time one Christmas, which was a complete surprise to her. She had two batches of kids, four in the first batch, and five in the second, separated by ten years. Anyway, only one year was everyone together, and the homeschool mom who was sharing this had tears in her eyes as she told the story. (She is the one who hosts this Christmas Tea every year, and she is a dear friend. I love her, and I had to wipe away some tears because her story was so good, how God provided the desire of her heart.)
Someone else said that when she was five years old, her parents told her that Santa Claus couldn’t come if she was awake. But she stayed awake anyway. Then she heard the reindeer on the roof, and she got freaked out and went to bed like a good little girl. Come to find out years later, her dad was throwing rocks on the roof.
Someone else said that one Christmas she was shopping at a grocery store, when an elderly woman told her that she reminded her of her daughter. Then she said her daughter had passed away last Christmas. (Here people’s eyes were watering and someone blew her nose.) The elderly woman asked her, “Do you mind doing something for me? Could you say, ‘Bye, Mom!’ when I leave? I will call back, ‘See you later.’ It would mean a lot to me.” The woman thought the request was weird, but maybe it would help the grieving woman, so she agreed. After going through the checkout, she called out, “Bye, Mom!” and the elderly woman said, “See you later.” As soon as the cashier told her that her groceries were over $100, the cashier said, “Yes, your mom said you would pay for her groceries.” The woman ran out of the grocery store and found the elderly woman getting into her car, and she said, “You don’t expect me to pay for your groceries, do you?” and she pulled the lady’s leg, just like I’m pulling yours, she said.
We all stopped in shock and then started laughing.
