We’re not really a family of traditions. It seems that every year we just take the Holidays in stride. This method has seemed to work well for us, because there is not one year which I can remember that I didn’t enjoy. However, out of all the Christmases I can recall, this one is shaping up to be the best.
I’ve always been close to my Aunt Elsie, but especially so during the past four years. While I was in Brazil, my mom wrote me a few times. In one of her letters she told me that my Aunt Elsie had started working for our company and was living with them during the week. I was actually pretty excited to be going home so I could see her again. It had been too long.
While my immediate family claims no real Christmas traditions, my extended family has one very strong one. Every year on Christmas day, Parker relatives near and far gather at the house of Uncle LaRue and Aunt Elsie. As a child we were pretty much dragged to these reunions. The last thing I wanted to do was hang out with old people and play with cousins I never knew I had. But sure enough, by the end of the day I ended up having fun.
Over the years my mom stopped forcing us to go. I guess she just got tired of the fight. I didn’t care; I didn’t have to wake up at 4:00 am anymore just to be there on time. Mom never said so, but I think it hurt her feelings. My siblings and I didn’t know half of the folks who attended, but these people were very dear to Mom. In retrospect, it wouldn’t have taken much effort on our part to enjoy that one day out of the year, if for no other reason, to make our mom happy.
By the time Aunt Elsie started working for us, it had been a number of years since we’d been to their house for Christmas. I was so happy to see her again! We quickly became buddies, as I was now her official chauffeur. It’s amazing how close two people can become just by spending a little quality time together every day. I never before realized, for instance, how funny and quick-witted she was. I know you’re not supposed to pick favorites, but she became my favorite aunt.
There was a time during these past four years that I didn’t think I’d ever return to the mission field. But I was content to stay and work for Cliff, driving my aunt back and forth to work every day. Being in the office with her was such a hoot! Lunch time was especially fun, as she brought the kid out of all of us. We made it a habit to eat together in the “coffee house” (office kitchen), so every day was spiced with laughter as we all contributed our own stories to the pile.
Some of Aunt Elsie’s best stories were those of her granddaughter, Sarah. She was always telling us something new that little punkinhead did. And of course, if someone was out, we just laughed about those same stories the next day as the other three of us recalled not only the story, but also how funny everyone’s laugh sounded! Hers was the best. She would get so tickled sometimes, and her laugh alone was enough to set me off!
I still vividly remember the way she would jerk her head back, tightly shut her eyes, and throw her hand in front of her mouth, all while bursting forth in riotous laughter. If you could get Aunt Elsie to laugh, then any story was good because everyone was laughing. Instant classic. By the way, I managed a few of these “classics” during our lunches together. But it’s never the story that’s retold; it’s the way Aunt Elsie laughed.
Three weeks ago today my aunt went home. She passed away on December 4th at about this time of the night. It has taken me twenty one days to make enough forward progress that I could write this story. God put this woman in my life, and it kind of hurts to have her torn away so abruptly. I’ll see her again very soon, but I almost feel like I’m now out here all alone. I did a lot of crying that week. But God has done some tremendous mending in my heart.
Today I can think about my aunt and laugh, whereas that night I didn’t think a laugh would ever return to my lips. Growing up, I hurt my mom’s feelings because I didn’t even try to laugh and have a good time around my family. But I feel like I can make amends by trying now. I can make my aunt in Heaven happy by laughing the way she did, even though I want to cry. I think that’s why she came. I think that’s why God put her in my life.
So today is a great day. Today is a wonderful Christmas, because of the gift my aunt gave me, a gift that took her four years to give. While writing this and going over all the dates in my head, I realize that it really was almost to-the-day four years that I had to spend with her; I returned from my trip to Brazil four years ago today. Those four years were the longest break from missions I’d ever had; I didn’t realize I was on a mission the whole time. I didn’t realize what was right in front of my face, until she was gone.
~Jonathan
Comments (12)
Trackback This Entry
http://jonlandrum.com/old/twas-the-night-before-christmas/trackback/
Burn this feed.
On December 28th, 2006, at 6:30 am
On December 28th, 2006, at 6:38 am
On December 28th, 2006, at 6:25 pm
On December 28th, 2006, at 10:37 pm
On December 29th, 2006, at 3:49 am
On December 29th, 2006, at 4:25 am
On December 29th, 2006, at 6:17 am
On December 29th, 2006, at 6:19 am
On December 29th, 2006, at 3:56 pm
On December 30th, 2006, at 12:41 am
On December 30th, 2006, at 5:02 am
On December 31st, 2006, at 2:32 am