i read "a chrismas memory" before, it was one of the short stories with "breakfast at tiffany's", however when i saw it among the holiday books, i had to check it out. i am glad i did it, is a great story to read for the holidays.
"a christmas memory" is about the last christmas a young boy and his older cousin share together. it is explained that a lifetime separates them, he is seven and she is sixty-something. regardless of age, they are best friends and have a wonderful time together. they have a handful of christmas traditions which they do together: making fruitcakes (they send them out to random people including the president), chop down a tree, decorate their tree and of course, make and exchange gifts. and what makes this story so sweet is their selflessness and love for one another. they do not have much but they make the most of what they have and end up creating a wonderful christmas together.
there are so many great parts in "a christmas memory". the "museum" they created with a three legged biddy chicken so they could raise money for ingredients for the fruitcakes. or how they killed flies in the house for pennies and then were remorseful when counting their money due to thoughts of the dead flies. the cousin's superstitons, they counted $13 for fruitcake money but threw a penny away because 13 is unlucky (she stays in bed on the thirteenth). how they had to buy bootleg whiskey from mr. haha, an indian. mr. haha asked them who was drinking but when they explained it was for fruitcakes, he sold it to them, then gave them back their money and asked for a cake as payment instead. and of course, i loved when they got drunk off of the leftover whiskey (though they sadly got in trouble for it, he is seven!). and because of their poverty, how they made their own ornaments out of paper, they even saved up hershey-bar tin foil to make angels!!! so cute and sweet.
but the best part was at the end. they secretly made kites for each other for christmas and go out to fly them. and while they are flying kites, the cousin made this observation:
"i've always thought a body would have to be sick and dying before they saw the lord. and i imagined that when he came it would be like looking at the baptist window: pretty as colored glass with the sun pouring through, such a shine you don't know it's getting dark. and it's been a comfort: to think of that shine taking away all the spooky feeling. but i'll wager it never happens. i'll wager at the very end a body realizes the lord has already show himself. the things as they are"--her hand circles in a gesture that gathers clouds and kites and grass an queenie pawing earth over her bone--"just what they've always seen, was seeing him. as for me, i could leave the world with today in my eyes."
i think the cousin's observation is something that we need to remember not only on christmas but every day. we take for granted all the beauty in the world. people are always looking for some large sign from god or whatever higher being they believe in. however, in order to see god, we need to appreciate the small things in life. for those who are religious, god is love and so anywhere there is genuine love, there is god. and it's even more important to remember today that it isn't about the gifts but about the time you spend with your love ones. i love presents but it's the memories and thought behind the gift that will last forever not the material gift.
in the end, the boy moved away to military school and the cousin eventually passes away. it's sad but they will always have their christmas memory so their love is not lost.
last but not least, this book was donated to the library in memory of dianna sedor, so decided to honor her:
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