Christmas prayer from the heart

To the Editor:
Oh Lord, thank you for the Christmas of my youth. The Christmases were so beautiful and heartwarming. Thank you Dad and Mom, Gramps and Grams, brother and sisters, aunts and uncles, and cousins for making my childhood Christmases so special and the memories so bright.

The gatherings of family. Us kids playing in the big 17 room farmhouse, the barn, in the woods, and sliding down the mountain fields. Dad would not let us have a toboggan for fear of getting hurt, but that old piece of steel roofing that fell off the barn that brother roped up worked quite well.

Thank you for Christmas morning when we were up too early to open presents, but had to wait for Dad to come in from the barn at 7, and then be patient again while Mom made a good old farm breakfast of cereal, followed by bacon, eggs, homefries, and toast with homemade jams.

Time to open the presents, as five small children smiled and laughed with joy. With parents that were grateful for all they had. As the Christmas wrap flew and the presents were opened for the gifts of the day, oh how I miss the homemade shirts and clothes, the knit hats, mittens, and socks, what love was put into them. Now to play with the toys we got. Another nice meal of good old farm food, oh how I loved those mashed potatoes with homemade butter.

Wow, I almost forgot the Black Lab pup with the white bird on its chest laying on the bed with a big red bow. At 6 I got to name him, Rudolph. Best dog our family ever had.

So thank you Lord Jesus as I enter my twilight years, for such beautiful memories. Amen.

Lewis Jones
Milo