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One Of Them
by
Ellen Hamilton
There they were, stacked in bags,
stacked as high as my shoulders. Shades of Christmas past. Shades of my parents'
Christmas past. We knew when we attended the Sunday School closest to Christmas
that we would march through the hallways to get a candy cane and one of
"Them." On Christmas morn, one of "Them" would be in our
stocking.
Yes, you know what I'm talking about. THE orange!
Across the cold
U.S., the sight of oranges this time of year brings
a flood of childhood memories. The smell of an orange held up to your nose will transport
you back in time to days of innocence. A time when Santa DID know if you
had been naughty or nice. A time when you had tried to change your ways. A time
of hope. You may not remember if you received everything you asked for,
but you remember your loved ones surrounding you as you unwrapped the
gifts.
There
are many reasons given of how this tradition started. No matter. What
matters is that we pass on this simple but endearing act. So, on Christmas
morn, when your great-great-great grandchild asks why, their parents will say,
"Our families have done this for generations. And it's good for
you!"
Ellen
Hamilton (Barbara John) '58
Greenwood,
IN
Christmas
Shopper
In his slack time a sack-boy was stocking shelves and observed a woman in the
grocery store with a two year old girl in her shopping cart. As they passed the
cookie section, the child reached her little hands out toward the cookies and
her mother told her, "Not this time."
The
little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly,
"Now Ellen, we just have half of the aisles left to go through; don't be
upset. It won't be long. A few more things to for Christmas Dinner, and
we'll be on our way."
The sack-boy saw them again in the candy aisle. Of course, the little girl began
to shout for candy. When she was told she couldn't have any, she began to cry.
The mother said, "There, there, Ellen, don't cry. Only one more item to go,
and then we'll be checking out."
The sack-boy happened to be sacking groceries at the same check-out, when the
little girl immediately began to clamor for gum only to burst into a
terrible tantrum upon discovering...."There will be no gum today,
either."
The mother patiently said, "Ellen, we'll be through this check out stand in
five minutes, and then you can go home and have a nice nap."
Following the woman and her little girl out to the parking lot with their
groceries, the sack-boy could not be still . . . "I couldn't help noticing
how patient you are with little Ellen." With that, the mother broke in,
"My little girl's name is Tammy . . . I'm Ellen."
Louise
(Mountcastle) Romine '56
Elwood,
IN
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