This is the time of year when I begin to reflect back on those I hold so dear to my heart. There are so many of them but at Christmas time, my sister Joanne shines over all. She always had such a joyful Christmas spirit about her that it warmed any cold room. I barely remember a Christmas with her around that there wasn't tears of joy, surprises in every closet, and laughs to fill the entire year.
Every year she always pulled out all the stops in decorations from all her ceramic Santas, to her awesome decorated trees, and all those brightly colored presents. When her kids were young there was always a real Santa that came to visit on Christmas Eve. As the kids began to question that Santa didn't exist, my sister worked very hard to fool them year after year until she could no longer fool them anymore. I think the funniest year was when the boys began to realize everytime Santa came to visit their Uncle Jim disapeared. My sister over heard their comments about this so she asked one of my brother's friends to dress up as Santa that Christmas Eve. Those boys eyes got so big with such surprise when Santa came in and they were going to prove that it was Uncle Jim, only to turn around to discover their Uncle Jim was standing right behind them. We all could barely keep from laughing at those two boys, but Santa lived on for one more year.
The next year again she over heard the boys talking that Dad was Santa. She pulled out her husbands work boots, and moistened them just enough to hold ashes from the fireplace onto the soles, as her husband marched these boots from the fire place, around the tree, and back to the fireplace. On Christmas morning when the boys woke up to see what they had under the tree the boot prints on the carpet took center stage. Once again she saved Santa for one more year!
As Christmas approaches, I am flooded with memories of my sister, such lovely memories. I know for many of us she will never be forgotten for her true spirit at Christmas time.
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