By Bonnie Brown

The excitement of the holiday season is growing. The parking lot at Discount Building and Home Center is always full whenever I drive by. They have most certainly sold miles of ribbon and fashioned hundreds, if not thousands, of beautiful wreaths along with all the building materials that are available there.

I can practically hear the cash registers jingling as the stores invite weary shoppers in for a look-see. The malls seem to be welcoming crowds once again, and we all know that Amazon is open 24/7.

Yes, the prices are up from last year, but that doesn’t seem to be much of a deterrent as we search for those special gifts for our family and friends.

Remember as a child when Christmas was approaching how excited you were in the hopes of Santa delivering the toy you so wished for? Perhaps he delivered it for you to open on Christmas, but if Santa didn’t get that particular present, there was probably another one that you were just as happy about.

I have favorite memories of the year when my brother and I got bicycles for Christmas, and we learned to ride them in the house (and our house was small) since the ground was covered with snow.

I could tell I was getting older the year I got jewelry at Christmas – a pearl ring that I still have, even though the pearl is no longer totally round. What are some of your favorite memories of cherished gifts?

Here in Oxford, we are so fortunate to have the perfect backdrop for the holidays – the canopy of lights around The Square with the merchants adding their holiday décor make for a magical scene bringing our little town to life as if a fairytale.
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What family traditions do you observe? We used to allow our two sons to choose one gift to open on Christmas Eve. Some years the decision as to which present to open came with great concern lest they pick a dud.

There was a radio program back in the day in my hometown of Portsmouth, OH, hosted by none other than Santa Claus himself which began on Thanksgiving at 4:30 each evening up until Christmas Eve.

Our family would gather to listen as Santa would read each letter, paraphrasing what the child was asking for, and mentioning the child by name.

Santa would take a break and allow Miss Merry Christmas to read a story. Her voice was pure melody and you imagined that she was beautiful and kind. Often the story would span several broadcasts.

Then on Christmas Eve, Santa would conclude the broadcast saying that he had just one more letter to read after he signed off, and that he and Rudolph would begin their world tour immediately after the end of the radio show.

So, as we approach this holiday season, be thankful for your family and friends, and share and cherish your traditions.