I have many wonderful memories of childhood Christmases. Some of them, like family gathering at my Aunt Terry’s house to enjoy traditional foods and open gifts, continue to this day. One family memory happened long before I was born when my aunts were children and my dad their older brother. It has been passed down to our generation. I wrote “Sally’s Sled”* to commemorate it, hoping it would continue to be passed on to the family’s younger generations.
*A little footnote to those who may raise questions about my having Sally praying to Santa. “Santa Claus” is another name for Saint Nicholas. I know it seems strange, if not blasphemous, to some that Catholics pray to the saints. I see it this way. The saints are declared saints because they lived lives that were so pleasing to God that they went directly to heaven, to the place God had prepared for them. They are beloved by God. When we pray to saints, we are really asking them to intercede for us with God. Like networking. Say you know someone who is a friend of the owner of a business where you applied for a job. You let that person know. “I just applied for a job with ____________. I know he thinks highly of you. I’d really appreciate it if you would put in a good word for me.”