I was born just after the depression and before WW 2.Where ever two to
three adults gathered,the talk was always about the storm clouds over
Europe.I thought at that age, it was always raining there.At meal time
my grandmum would say eat everything on your plate,think about those
poor starving children in Armenia.What a terrible place Europe must
be,raining and starving children.I had no idea we didn`t have any
money,I was happy and well taken care of.Grandmum use to read stories to
me,such as the little girl who sold matchsticks and the girl who knew
she would have no presents to open at Christmas.So she gathered
sticks,rocks and anything she could wrap,that way she would have
something to unwrap Christmas morning.Grandmum said we didn`t have any
money for presents this year either.So I decided together things and
wrap them up,she gave me empty boxes, she helped me wrap them and she
said now if Santa doesn`t come, you will have them to unwrap. I must
admit I was very disappointed thinking about no Christmas.None the less
I went to bed and fell asleep,the next morning my dad came in to wake me
up and carried me to the front room where the tree was,my heart dropped,
the same presents we had wrapped the night before were under the
tree.Well aren`t you going to see what is under the tree?Asked my uncle
Kirb Mccormick and handed me a package,as I unwrapped it there was a
real present in it.Each box I opened was a surprise,the huge box I had
wrapped the night before was a Madame Alexander doll. they had spent the
night re-wrapping those presents.My family is gone now,but the wonderful
memories linger on.
Norma Losh-Runyon