Usually by the time we reach this point in the years, I have a tendency to share some memories of my growing-up-years. I don't know if they are of value to anyone else, or that they contain some kind of moral. But they are a part of who I am.
Most of you recognize the picture above.
The ol' "Book of lifesavers" candy.
What does that have to do with me?
Plenty.
From the first grade through the sixth grade, whenever Christmas rolled around, we drew names at school. Now the gifts were not to be expensive, usually under a dollar. You have to remember this was 1950-60's dollar, so you could actually get a pretty good bit for that amount.
But excitement was the name of the game as the names were drawn. We played these silly games of "I'll tell you whose name I got if you'll tell me whose name you got". Trying in vain to figure out who got our own name. Then we could drop subtle hints as to what we wanted. Did I say "Subtle?" Subtle like an atomic bomb...
"Hey, tell him that I want a model of the U.S.S. Missouri, o.k.?"
But in my own life.....
From the first Christmas in the first grade...
until the last one in the sixth grade.....
I received the same gift each year.
I got the ever popular book of lifesaver candy.
You might be thinking, "Why so bummed?"
Well, guys around me were getting model planes and model cars.
They were getting bags of army soldiers or cowboy's and Indians. (Yes, Virginia, we could say "Indian" back in the day and no one got bent out of shape.
Some got yo-yo's.
Some even got comic books....
There were cap pistols and rolls of caps.
But here I was....
Book of lifesaver's in hand, walking around looking at everyone else.
That wasn't so bad....
But the same thing happened in the second grade....lifesavers.
Third grade? You guessed it. Life savers.
Fourth grade was particularly memorable. Why? I got the lifesavers at school, and then I got another one from my Aunt Vertie. Double whammy.
I thing during that 6 year stretch, I personally kept the Lifesaver company afloat and from going under.
Christmas came..and Christmas went, but the gift I received never changed.
And so on and so on....The Lifesavers came at me like an endless tidal wave of multi-colored wheels.
My mother kept telling me that it was the thought not the gift that counted.
Hard to swallow when guys are playing with P-40 Tomahawk airplanes, or setting up an epic battle with their soldiers. All the while you're stuck with "Cherry or Grape?"
Truth be known...
I was being selfish.
I was not being very nice and it took a while for this to sink in.
Especially when I noticed one kid in my sixth grade class who didn't get a present at school that year. He didn't get one because he didn't draw a name. His folks couldn't afford to spend money on such things.
I kept hearing my Mother's voice...it's the thought, not the gift.
I remember going over and sitting down next to him.
"Hey, would you like some of my lifesavers?" I saw him smile. Then I saw his face light up as I handed him half of my book of lifesavers.
I think at that moment I began to understand what Christmas was really all about.
Giving....
not getting.
Giving even the simplest of things.
Like lifesavers.
Merry Christmas from the "B's" in Attalla.
God on you..
mb
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