Oh, To Be 8 Years Old Again

Think back to this time of year when you were 8 years old…..even if that was a very long time ago for some of you reading this.

Oh, the anticipation!

Oh, the excitement!

I was taught what Christmas was really about ….celebrating Jesus’ birth.  My upbringing included being in church and Sunday school and there the excitement built even more. We knew it was a very special holiday for the right reasons.

Being 8 years old I also knew Santa Claus was coming and I was going to get presents!

My little brother, Chuck, and I woke on that Christmas morning at probably 4am. We sneaked to the Christmas tree and stared at the presents. They were all wrapped and we didn’t dare touch one of them for fear of waking mom and dad. There was a very large box and it said To: Brenda and Chuck, From Santa.  We sat looking at that box whispering about what could possibly be in it for both of us. I suppose we sat there like that for a couple hours until mom and dad got up. We may have even gone back to bed and pretended to be asleep when we heard them getting up so as not to get caught.

The big box contained a child’s electric organ/piano but that is not even important. What is important is what we were feeling.

The anticipation!

The excitement!

It had built for a couple weeks leading up to this one day.

I am no longer 8 years old but I can still feel that anticipation and excitement when it is this close to Christmas. I no longer believe in Santa Claus and don’t care about presents but I do still believe in the reason we celebrate.

Chuck is with Jesus now, celebrating in a way we can’t comprehend here on earth. I feel certain he is playing music in heaven because that organ/piano was just a start for him being very musically talented as a child, almost prodigy talented. Me, not so much, not a lick of musical talent.

My wish for you at Christmas is to remember the reason for this celebration and you have the anticipation and excitement you did as an 8 year old. Maybe you don’t have family, maybe you don’t have money for presents, maybe you can’t be with your family….doesn’t matter. Your heart is what matters….Oh Come All Ye Faithful.

Do you have a Christmas memory you will share here? Something you remember so many years later.

Happy Birthday Jesus and Merry Christmas to my blog friends.