MY HOMEMADE FUDGE
What makes Christmas special aside from the religious meaning? Everyone has their own special way of celebrating Christmas. Maybe you have a big family celebration, with the proverbial kids table, post dinner football and lots of noise or it could be a quiet time with just those closest to you. Some people will travel thousands of miles and some of us will stay home. There will be those of us that spend days preparing dinner and others that will go out to eat or just have a pizza. How you celebrate isn’t important. What is important is that you are making lifetime memories. These memories will be etched in your mind and will be like a fine wine, becoming better with age.
Until I was 9, I spent Christmas in Oklahoma City with my mother’s family. Our immediate family is small but she had a large extended family. In 1969 we moved to Minnesota and that following December we made our first of many road trips back for Christmas. I remember the excitement of preparing for the trip, the packing, the loading of the car and the long 12 hour drive. However the joy I felt when we arrived and saw the Christmas tree waiting to be decorated was priceless. My family would continue to make that trip from Minnesota, then Colorado and finally Nevada back to Oklahoma City until I was 21. My mother finally decided to stay home and apologized that we had never been able to celebrate in our own home. What she didn’t understand was that for me, Christmas didn’t feel like Christmas without that trip. It took a few years to begin new traditions.
Today I made fudge. It is an old family recipe and to me the most delicious fudge made. We made it once a year at Christmas. My mother made the fudge and my dad did the stirring. My job was to lick the pan and spatula clean. Those memories still warm my heart. Making the fudge today brought back those sweet memories in my grandmother’s small kitchen.
Things are temporary. I lost my home and my security at the end of 2012. I haven’t been able to buy a home and I may never be able to buy a home. However my heart is full. It is full of memories and love. And my security is in my faith. I pray you make many special and wonderful memories this Christmas season.
A Fresh New Life 