Three Corners Filled With Christmas

Three Corners Filled With Christmas

For many years, I'd guess until I was about nine years old, our family living room was empty of any kind of furniture except for an old couch in front of the picture window. Mama and Daddy let my sister, brother and me use the room as our playroom. But oh, in December, that room took on an extra special importance for us. At Christmas time, three corners of that room were magically transformed overnight by a jolly round man who wore a red suit and black boots. He parked his sleigh with eight tiny reindeer pawing on our roof while he came down our chimney with a great big sack filled to the brim with toys. I know that part to be true because Mama said so, and reading about Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer reinforced the fact. On Christmas Eve, just before bedtime, we put a glass of cold milk and a plate of cookies out on the hearth for Santa to have a quick snack before he left our house to continue his deliveries before dawn. The following morning, cookie crumbs and an empty glass were further evidence that Santa had come and gone while we three children slept.

By the time six small footsies touched the floor and hurried into the living room on Christmas morning, our sleep-filled eyes and yawns were replaced with wide-eyed wonder and little mouths shaped into permanent O's. The glorious wonder of another visit from Santa Claus filled three corners of the room. Our young voices squealed in excitement, as each of us ran to "our corner" to discover what gifts had been left there for us. Maybe a new doll, new pajamas, teaset, paperdolls, books, a stuffed toy animal for my sister and the same for me; a cowboy outfit with boots, a cap gun and holster, red fire truck, new pajamas, books, and miniature metal cars for my brother. Our voices grew louder and louder, waking our parents who came into the living room to see what all the commotion was about and acting so surprised to see everything that Santa Claus had brought us during the night. They went from my corner to Sandi's to Hilt's corner oohing and ahhing over the amazing presents.

"Daddy, look here, the Hop-A-Long Cassidy cowboy suit is exactly what I wanted! And the boots fit!"
"Look Mama, Santa brought me a pretty bride doll!"
"Tiny Tears is just the baby doll I wished for!"

Daddy would hand us our stockings that were hanging from the mantle. We could hardly wait to dump out the contents because we knew we'd find candy, nuts, fruit, a tiny toy or two, and always a shiny new dime in the toe of the stocking.

We children touched each present in awe, so proud of what we had been given, so tickled with the very thought of another Christmas Day. For us, in our little corner of the world, all was well.

Story ID:	4591
Written by:	Susan Hammett Poole (bio, contact, other stories)
Story type:	Family Memories
Location:	LaGrange Georgia USA
Year:	1955
Person:	Susan, Sandi, and Hilt