Christmas in My Hometown

Growing up in Henderson, KY, was a wonderful thing, and especially at Christmas!  I remember watching the Christmas parade downtown with my Daddy and almost crying with excitement when the bands marched by playing Christmas carols.  Later on in life, I got to be in that band marching down the street!  I remember shopping downtown in the evenings with the Christmas carols playing from the Salvation Army booth that was set up in front of J. C. Penneys with people on the loud speaker calling out your name and asking for donations for a good cause.  I remember living on my little street with all the neat little houses in a row with their Christmas trees in the windows with wonderful families inside celebrating being together!  I remember the Christmas Eve service at my church at 11 pm - it was a candlelight service and when it was over at midnight we all lit our candles, held them up and sang Joy to the World!  And what a joy it was to remember the birth of our Saviour in such a special way.

Now, after living away for many years, I am blessed to be able to return to my Hometown and experience all the wonderful things offered by a small town.  People smiling and wishing each other a Merry Christmas, families coming home for Christmas celebrations, little children laughing, and all the traditions and wonders of a small town Christmas.  I used to only dream of coming home for Christmas.  This morning I was thinking of this familiar song:

I'm dreaming tonight of a place I love
Even more than I usually do
And although I know it's a long road back
I promise you

I'll be home for Christmas
You can count on me
Please have some snow and mistletoe
And presents by the tree

Christmas eve will find you
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams

Here's hoping that you are blessed to be celebrating Christmas with family and friends and continuing old fashioned traditions!  We may be living in a newer, faster paced world today than it was in our past, but we always keep coming back to the old traditions.  That is where we are most comfortable and happiest.  Merry Christmas from Memories Past and Present, wherever you are!  Share some of your childhood memories with us - we would love it!