Despite the rather warm weather here in Brewton, Christmas Day is almost here. For kids, Christmas Eve will be a night of little sleep. For adults, its another opportunity to spend time with family.

Christmas holidays can be a magical time, but also hectic (if you tend to procrastinate like I do). For myself, I’m somewhere in the middle. It seems these holidays snuck up on me rather quickly this year.  Time sure is passing by.

I remember being a little kid, hearing the alarm sound off at six in the morning. My brother and I would get ready in our room and wait for Dad to come get us to open presents.

Every Christmas was special. Not so much of the toys or games, though they were my world back then, but for the memories I can now look back on with fondness.

My Ma would stop what she was doing in the kitchen and we’d all gather to open gifts.

The gifts were always the bomb. I remember getting a Power Ranger Megazord one Christmas. Another Christmas, we got a Nintendo 64 (still my favorite video game console). One Christmas around the time I was 11, my brother and I got an air hockey table. Boy it was some battles in the den playing air hockey.

My Uncle Nate, who was around six-foot-five would play with us kids on that hockey table. He’d get down on his knees. I was always worried the puck would fly and hit him in the head (us kids were kind of wild). He was an uncle who knew how to have fun. He was like a big kid. I miss him.

We’d always have the tunes playing in the background– Boy 2 Men, Celine Dion (one of Mom’s favorites), Michael Jackson, Michael Bolton, Mel Waiters, Barry White, Keith Sweat–you name it.

And the food. Between my Grandma and Ma we’d be doing some good eating. I remember all of us little kids seeing that old gray Chevy Trailblazer pull up to the house. Everytime I think of that Trailblazer I think of the thumbtacks in the roof.

Grandma had pots of greens, peas; chicken, macaroni, an assortment of pies, pound cake; but my favorites were fried okra and sweet potato pie and Grandma knew that too.

It took about three trips for me, my brother and cousins to get everything. Ma’s specialty was fried rice and egg rolls. Like Grandma, she was a wizard in the kitchen.

I miss those good times. It was fun, magical and simple all at the same time. It seems so different because the people that made Christmas special growing up are no longer here.

It’s great to remember those times, because I think that’s what’s important this time of year long after all those material possession are gone. It’s capturing that magic that makes Christmas special.

Safe travels to all and have a Merry Christmas!