Monday, December 24, 2007

Call it Tradition..


This is a reprint of the post I did last Christmas.Many of you have read it,but this past year I have been blessed with many new friends that I wanted to share it with.....



"First Christmas"


"Little Sling..Wake up!..Santa Claus came!"...

I adored my big sister.She was,after all,the source of all the the important life skills I had acquired to date.
Things like,it isn't polite to snatch bees from the flowers,and I needn't fear the gentle daddy-long-legs,because he makes ice cream.These things had served me well enough to trust that it would be wise to follow.I shuffled after her,rubbing the sleep from my eyes,piggy-toes peeking out from the tattered feet of my flannel PJ's,into the living room to meet this "Santa Claus".

I had met Grandma and Grandpa.Aunt Doris,and Uncle Maurice.
They smelled like candy,and were always eager to sit me on their laps and tell me stories,or rock me gently to sleep.One can't have too many acquaintances of this nature,I surmised.
Nothing,not even the dutiful counsel of my big sister,had prepared me for this wondrous apparition..

Santa Claus was a giant!
The twinkle-twinkle-little-star he wore for a hat brushed the ceiling.
He wore a miraculous coat of multi-colored baubles,shining silver 'basketti,and softly glowing lights that bubbled lazily, just like dad's beer!..and he brought things,..marvelous things.

My eyes were too small to open wide enough to take in the bonanza of satin wrapped packages,and I couldn't tell you today what treasures lay within..Save one.
Circling Santa's feet,amber headlight shining,and grey smoke puffing from it's engine,was a REAL choo-choo-train!

These memories are what remain, a half century after the fact.It's my very first,and most enduring recollection of Christmas.Which,as my all-knowing big sister was later to inform me,was also the occasion of my third birthday....A blessing on all your houses..

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11 Comments:

At 10:27 AM , Blogger Jan said...

The softer side of Sling. Thanks for bringing back a tradition for new readers.

 
At 10:50 AM , Blogger Doralong said...

All blessings kind and gentle be upon he house of Sling, now and in the coming year my dear.

 
At 11:39 AM , Blogger Middle Child said...

Ah, thats just so lovely Sling. Sounds like you were raised with a fair amount of love...a precious thing. We were so unsophisticated in those days... and expected so little so remembered what we got whch was so specila... feel sorry for the world the kids have no choice to live in this way, today.

You may have mentioned once Lil' Sling but where did the name Sling come from please?

 
At 12:44 PM , Blogger Traveling Matt said...

aww, fuzzy memories. merry xmas!!

 
At 12:50 PM , Blogger rosemary said...

A wonderful Christmas, a very Happy New Year my friend. Love you, rosemary

 
At 1:20 PM , Blogger yellowdoggranny said...

ahh, that's so sweet...did you have a cigarette too?
Goddess bless you and your family....yo'friend...js

 
At 2:47 PM , Blogger billy pilgrim said...

merry feckin xmas.

i thought a change of pace from all the sensitive comments might be nice.

 
At 3:28 PM , Blogger Sling said...

Merry Christmas to all you kids too! :)

MC- I took the name Slingshot from my bartending days..Slingin' shots..Get it?
..well I thought that was pretty clever.
Anywhiz,..That got shortened to Sling in the chat rooms...yeah I know,but they weren't always scrolling ads for porn back in the day.

 
At 3:06 AM , Blogger more cowbell said...

Great story -- I could just see your little PJ'd self. Merry Christmas, Sling.

 
At 9:11 AM , Blogger Kimberly Ann said...

So glad you decided to reprint this, it is a beautiful story.

 
At 12:14 PM , Blogger Mom said...

What a wonderful memory! Merry Christmas. may you have many more wonderful memories.

 

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