Guest Author - Dennise Ziaja

Dear Santa,
“All I want for Christmas this year….”
Haven’t we all at one time or another wished we could write Santa a letter and get a few goodies under the Christmas tree? I know I did. My dad used to tease me about my “going all out” for Christmas…two decorated Christmas trees, homemade fruitcake, cookies and candy, the outdoor light display and all the stuff merchandisers tempt us with! I confess, I am a Christmas freak. I don’t know why. We never really went that overboard at home while I was growing up. I do remember as a kid of about 8 years old, I would get out the Christmas albums right after Halloween. I think we had three….A Mitch Miller album, a Bing Crosby album, and my all time favorite, Patty Page’s Christmas. I would pretend to be Patti herself, singing each number, knowing all the words and breaks. Good thing my parents were kind-hearted. I really couldn’t sing well back then…well, now either for that matter. Now that Paul and I are living in our motorhome, we can’t celebrate the holidays like we used to at our sticks and bricks house…but that doesn’t stop me from making my favorite cookies in the rig oven…albeit much smaller recipes. I have a small table top tree and a string of lights that we put in our front windshield area, and of course, I have a few Christmas hand towels and pillows scattered about. I also have a nice collection of Christmas CD’s that I confess I start playing before Thanksgiving. During the year, the tree is hidden in the storage compartment under our bed and the pillows and towels slip easily into a pillow cover that matches our everyday interior. I take Christmas with me, wherever we happen to park the rig. Videos from past years have been transferred to compact disc and we choose several to watch over the holidays. It is wonderful to see my now adult son finding his rocking horse under the tree all those years ago, and I get warm and happy memories when I see my mother in law Catherine who always was caught by the camera, picking up the scraps of paper left on the floor by her beloved only grandchild. I laugh and smile when I see my dad and hear his croaky voice bellowing out “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” while my mom is heard in the background telling him to be quiet.
So, again this year, my letter to Santa stays in my heart. I tell him I don’t need anything, but only to continue to remember my past Christmases, both good and bad, with a happy heart. Some of those we love are no longer with us…some of our family may be scattered and unable to be together…some of us prefer to spend the holidays in far away places. But were are all together, just like the song says., “…if only in our dreams.”

Happy Holidays.