There is just something about remembering...
Here's a whole scientific explanation about it.
As I help Mom with her down-sizing, I see that she is struggling with the idea of letting go of the "stuff" that helps her reflect on various times of her life.
The thing is... we are both learning that we don't NEED to hold on to all of the "stuff" in order to keep the memories alive and to hold on to those feelings of happiness and comfort.
Taking pictures of special items and then writing down some thoughts and memories about them and what they mean to you is a great way to preserve them. Perhaps you could add them to your memory book pages that accompany your quilt.
The questions this time focus on Christmas and Easter celebrations and traditions...
I recall Christmas programs for both church and school with great fondness. I have always loved music and I'm pretty sure I sang loud and proud in some of my younger programs. There were always hand motions that went along with the songs to help us remember the words.
Mom would make us new dresses, often matching, each holiday. (This photo shows just one example.) Our Christmas tradition included attending the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and having Christmas Stockings that Santa would fill for us to discover the next morning. We could count on finding an orange, maybe an apple and whole nuts. Candy canes and a few other small items were included as well.
Because I had a cousin that was born on December 24th, I remember numerous celebrations at their house following the church service. I also remember a Christmas spent with the other side of cousins. The youngest had begged and begged to be able to open presents on Christmas Eve. The adults finally relented and allowed it to happen.
The next morning with only Christmas stockings to discover, was sooooooo disappointing! Sure we had a new game or two and maybe some new clothes to wear... it just wasn't worth it to open them "early."
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| my first Easter Bunny... 59 years later |
Easter has always special to me since I was born ON Easter. I always view the day of Easter as something special. I mean, it is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, and that IS special. But it has always felt as though it was a new beginning for me. Some years... most years I get to celebrate both dates as my birthday... even if only in my mind. 💖 And the opportunity to attend a Sunrise service on Easter still makes it all the more special.
I have always been an early riser, so it was never a big deal for me to wake while it was still dark and drive out to a pre-determined location on the prairie and hear the story of the women visiting the tomb to discover that Jesus was not in the tomb.
It was often perfectly timed as the sun came over the horizon... I still get chills as I recall the memory.
We would return home to find our baskets and hunt for the eggs that we decorated and dyed the day before.
Our egg hunts always took place in the house. I had friends who would talk about finding the eggs outside. I asked Mom why ours were always inside... "because I don't want critters to steal them, or for them to get broken or forgotten."
The Star block & the Bowtie block reflect the questions with the Star representing the Star of Bethlehem and the Bowtie for all the little boys that wrestled as they got their faces washed and the tie put in place. :)
It's time for you to collect the patterns - Star & Bowtie - in my payhip store. But before you go...
What sort of special holiday traditions did your family have?
I'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and then have fun piecing your blocks as you recall memories from your childhood... or adulthood even. I have nearly as many memories of my own children as I do of my own! Maybe you'll want to include a favorite family recipe.
Be sure you come back to join the block parade!
Keep Piecing,
Melva
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Love the photo of you and your Mom with matching dresses, so sweet. I can't wait to get caught up with the blocks this weekend!
ReplyDeleteI love that you share your childhood stories while we get to know you even better:)
ReplyDeleteSuch heartwarming memories of your childhood. We opened our Christmas presents early a few times too. I think I would rather wait for Christmas Day. Your blocks look amazing. Thank you again for sharing them with us. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember there being many holiday traditions other than each one of us kids had to sit in front of the Christmas tree with all of our opened presents and have our picture taken. At Easter we would get an Easter basket and there was an Easter egg hunt until we reached our teens.
ReplyDeleteSusan
My mom doesn't have any memory for things anymore, but photographs are still meaningful. I'm so glad we have them to show her and talk with her about them! I love your posts that get me thinking about my life, too. Thanks, Melva!
ReplyDeleteOur church did not have a Christmas Eve service, so for several years we made our own special night. We would all dress up fancy and have fancy foods that we normally didn't get (including chips and soda). My sister and I would plan a program with piano playing and singing. Then we would get to open one gift. The rest of the gifts were left for Christmas morning.
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely memories you have! Thanks for sharing on my weekly show and tell, Wednesday Wait Loss.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.inquiringquilter.com/questions/2024/05/15/wednesday-wait-loss-380
Hi Melva, I love your blocks and memories. Thanks for linking up to Free Motion Mavericks :-)
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