Christmas Socks
The holiday season has many benefits for those of us who love whimsical and nostalgic times of year. I sat in church this morning listening to the preacher talk about Ebeneezer Scrooge and his "ghosts" and how it can relate to the "guilts" of Christians. We do tend to dwell too much on the past. It can be particuarly damaging to us when we are unable to let the sins of our past go. If we cling to the mistakes we have made, we will surely stay in the circumstances those wrongs yeild.
I am thankful for the good memories. This time of year I love to think about simpler days gone by. As a young child, even though I didn't have the perfect life and I have as many "ghosts" that haunt me as the next person, I had a wonderful gift of love that some will never know. Bertie Mae was the most amazing grandmother any person could ask for. She was my Granny and for as long as I can remember, I was just as special to her. We were absolutely inseparable. Granny's lessons in life live on today in my spirit. I am the Christian man I am today because of her.
Granny had a wonderful relationship with all fifteen of her grandchildren. She always bragged about each of the accomplishments we made and even though we were all very different, the thing we held in common was our genuine love and respect for our Granny. A Cochran Christmas was very traditional. Bertie Mae and her late husband J.D. Cochran had six children and they raised them on a cotton farming income. J.D. passed away in 1964, just a few months prior to their youngest son Luther's death from cancer. Bertie Mae knew about tragedy. She experienced large amounts of grief and love as she entered the twilight of her life.
My Granny was never a materialistic woman. She grew up and raised her family in rural Alabama in a time of industrial change and uncertainty. Race relations, politics and world events of the 1960's and 1970's never concerned her. She concentrated on doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. She always knew her ultimate reward would be in Heaven and not here on earth. After my grandfather died, she lived on very little each month. In fact, when she passed away at age 94 in 2003, her monthly income was $240. Even though her income was so modest, each month, she gave $24 in tithes to the Jacksonville Church of Christ.
At Christmas, my aunts and uncles made sure the whole family would gather around Granny. All grandchildren and later great granchildren would run and play together in the yard outside her single wide mobile home. Granny and the women would prepare a great meal and we would all crowd in and enjoy the fun and family tradition together. The small space didn't matter, because every year at this time it was important to Granny to have all her family in one place and we all tried our best to get along.
Every year, Granny would gather the whole family around. She would sit in her favorite rocking chair with a large sack beside her. Inside the sack would be a brand new pair of white socks for every member of the family. She wrapped each pair separately. We would all laugh and cheer as she passed out the socks and of course her wisdom and wishes for each of us. I don't remember a Christmas going by that I didn't put those socks on my feet that night before going to bed. There was just something about them being from Granny that made them so special.
My cousins and I reflect on our memories of her every time we get together these days and the white socks are always a favorite. When a person shares so much and genuinely cares for you all of your life, it doesn't matter how little you have, you can feel like the richest little boy in the land. I spent many days in the porch swing beside my Granny just talking and praying together. She taught me how to tell God what I needed. She encouraged me to follow the path He had layed out for me. When I would go astray, I always found my way back to that swing and Granny would help me find forgiveness and direction.
I am sitting here right now looking at my Christmas tree and thinking of the laughter and love from a large family gathering and how much I miss that. My family has mostly gone in different directions, and our paths don't cross nearly as often as they used to. Because of the memories we created and the blessings of this time of year, I can always close my eyes and wander back to that place.
It is easy for most people to allow the past to haunt them and keep them from achieving something great in the future. I am certainly guilty of that from time to time. Tonight, I am sure I can find a nice pair of white socks rolled up in my dresser drawer, and I can put them on and remember good things. I have a feeling Granny is nearby watching and cheering me on to do something great, right around the corner. Merry Christmas and love to you all.
