By Violet R. Eye
Another year is almost behind us, and we will celebrate Christmas 2024 in another four days. Rose reflects on things that have happened this year. The year has not been an easy one for Rose and several of her family members. Rose’s daughter, Pam, went to her heavenly home suddenly and quite unexpectedly. Sister-in-law, Jo, was in the hospital several different times, and Bud is dealing with severe back pain. Old age is not being very kind to the family.
Ellen and Rose decided that maybe they better deliver Christmas gifts as there is still a lot to do and Christmas is four days away. The sisters set out once again to deliver gifts to their siblings.
This day is unlike the 2023 day that was warm and spring-like. There is snow on the ground, snow flurries and temperatures in the 20s. Rose doesn’t find much joy in the winter weather.
Rose got the ice off the windshield and put her gifts in the car. She didn’t know if it was wise to go but she drove to Ellen’s house. The sisters headed south on Doe Hill Road and saw that it appeared to be snowing rather hard up the road.
They traveled on, until they came to the lane leading up to Bud’s house. He was feeding the cattle on the hill as the sisters drove by. The flag was flapping wildly in the wind, and they knew as soon as the car doors were open, they would be hit with a blast of wind—sure enough!
Walking through the snow they made it up the steps to the front door. Rose opened the storm door while hanging on to the door and her gift and tried the latch on the inside door and found it locked. The sisters knocked on the door and rang the doorbell but could not get Jo to respond.
After a few minutes with the wind and snow beating on them, they put the gifts inside the car that was sitting there. The sisters met Kate, Bud’s granddaughter, on the way out and told her where they had left the gifts. Katie said that her granny was probably sleeping.
On the way to Margaret’s, Ellen exclaimed, look at my hair! The wind had blown it until it was standing like a “rooster’s tail” on the back of her head.
The sisters found Margaret sitting in the kitchen. She welcomed them with her usual smile. The sisters visited for a while and then exchanged gifts.
Thomas and Jackie, the dog, came in from doing chores at the barn. Grandson Kyle, and a friend stopped to borrow the farm truck so they could drive to the top of the mountain where they hoped to kill a deer.
Rose and Ellen visited with Margaret and Thomas until almost lunchtime, and with gifts in hand, they headed home. The snow flurries had stopped but the wind was still quite strong. As she drove home, Rose was thinking about how many more years she and Ellen would be physically able to make this yearly trip or if the four siblings would all be living at the end of the coming year.
Each day that we are given on planet earth should be lived to the fullest and filled with thanks and praise to our loving God.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Violet R. Eye
