I can't wait for Christmas this year. It's been a long time coming but it's finally here. It is a part of my childhood that I hold dear.

This year I have planned an old fashioned Christmas with my family, and getting things back to what it used to be. Doing the things my mom used to do with me.

I love the smell of cookies baking. Putting up the tree, and decoration making.

I hope it snows this year, so I can take the kids outside and make a big snowman.

I love roasting nuts in an open fireplace, instead of buying and eating them out of a can.

We will string popcorn for the Christmas tree. Because, that's the kind of things my parents did with me.

I remember the mistletoe hanging over the door. And Papa kissing Mom a dozen times or more.

I love jumping in the car and going for a ride. And looking at the lights, people hang outside.

We made snow cream and snow angels and had fun riding our sled. And dreaming about Santa Claus coming, when we went to bed.

Oh, it was like magic, going to sleep on Christmas Eve. And waking up to things we couldn't believe.

The magic was in mom and the things that she, did just for our sake. Like putting a little candle on a coconut ice cream snowball, she would make .

I remember Johnny and me. Putting on a christmas play using baby brother Paulie. We decorated a big ole' box, the only one we had. And pushed it out in front of mom and dad.

Johnny was Joseph and I was Mary and we had Paulie as baby Jesus inside. As we sang the song Away in a Manger, Johnny giggled, as Paulie cried.

Christmas morning mom would say, "Santa Clause was here!! He ate your cookies, and left toys under the tree." And I would jump for joy, when I saw what he left for me!

Well, I know that things have happened that changed the world for me. But I am the same little girl inside that I used to be. Mom and brother Paulie are gone. But the memories live on.

Everyone's coming to my house for christmas dinner this year. And like I said that's just some of the things I hold dear.

To everyone who reads this poem

By: Juanita Nunn

aka

CreekLady

2001