Stories that Stick

We all have life stories that stick--memorable events that bring us together with laughter, sadness, pleasure, and pain.

I was thinking about that yesterday as my husband and I remembered a single moment about 35 years ago at the very same moment. It was a good moment in a beautiful place.

Holidays tend to bring us back to treasured memories. For me as I think of my past and the holidays, memories rush to mind:

• A Christmas without electricity and opening presents by the fireplace light.
• The sadness of a neighborhood fire and lost lives.
• The wonderful Christmas Eve parties at Uncle Neal's house --nice clothes, great food, lots of presents, and playful exploration with my cousins.
• First Christmases with my husband and his family.
• The trouble falling asleep while I listened for Santa and his reindeer's hooves.
• Trying to wake Michael up so we could all open up our presents.
• Getting my favorite childhood present--any kind of markers, paper, and make-it materials.
• Sledding and skating at Green Hill or Elm Park.
• First time skiing.

Life with my mom these days brings me back to her childhood often. As we drive through her hometown, she tells me many of her favorite stories:

• Meeting dad at a card party during a sorority meeting in south Worcester.
• A trip to New York City to see my dad when is Coast Guard Station was Staten Island.
• The day Uncle Jimmy brought the chicken, Marshmallow, on the train to Newton.
• The tornado in Worcester.
• Working at Worcester's Court House and meet her mom who worked at Denholms for lunch.
• Happy days at Heard Street School.
• When her brothers joined the Navy, especially the brother who joined at 15 with his other brother's name and identification.
• Walking to Coes Pond to swim and the movie theater on Saturday mornings to watch movies. 

It's a wonder why some memories stick far more than others, but those touchstones are what we often come back to time and again during the holidays and at other times. Onward.