By Lib Campbell

When Daddy died in 1990, some of the magic went out of Christmas. He was a child of wonder who delighted in small things, like cups of coffee and sausage biscuits and his children. He was in his element in the Christmas season.

Most children had the Sears Catalogue, pages and pages of toys and clothes that Santa could bring. Daddy was in the wholesale grocery business. He brought home the Bennett Blue Book that took toy dreaming to a whole new level. There were big league stores — Macy’s and the other big stores in Washington, New York and Richmond that displayed these toys, but the availability of them to most of us was nil. Except through the Blue Book.

Toys I remember getting include a tiny working organ that had about three octaves. As a beginning pianist, I thought the gift was grand. I remember a tiny kitchen, Barbie size before Barbie came on the scene. I became the 11-inch cook on a tiny stove. It had a full kitchen, fridge, dishwasher, sink and even a broom closet. I spent hours playing with it.

I remember a dental set with all the dental instruments and a set of plastic teeth. Gray modeling clay came with it, to put fillings in the teeth. And the dolls, oh the dolls, were grand. Alice in Wonderland was my favorite. Daddy had made a four-poster bed for her. Mother had made organza and taffeta bedding for the bed.

In high school, gifts were clothes. I remember the gift of an olive pea coat that had a raccoon collar. It was fine. On Christmas Eve, we would go to the Ayden Christian Church for worship at ten o’clock. We would invite a few friends to the house for a little egg nog and carols afterwards. When everybody went home, Daddy loaded us into the car and we rode around town seeing who was up waiting for Santa. The delight of Christmas Eve was palpable.

Christmas in Ayden with the Strouds was always fun. All the brothers and their families lived within a couple of blocks of one another. On Christmas morning, we would visit each household to see what Santa had brought the cousins. Walter Lee’s family got cool things like BB guns. No such gifts were brought to our house.

The Christmas Tom and I got married, practical gifts were called for. Ironing board, iron and clothes hamper. Not exciting, but necessary. Daddy made a game out of it. What will the newlyweds need? I just replaced that ironing board after 58 years. They don’t make them like they used to.

Daddy had another Christmas game he played. We would open gifts around the room, youngest to oldest. Daddy would stockpile his gifts till the end. He wanted to drag out the fun as long as he could. Then there would be a huge breakfast with eggs and bacon on the pink platter, and fresh oranges cut up by Aggie.

Magic is hard to come by. I have grown enough to realize that the Coming of Christ is the reason for the season. When it incorporates wonder and delight, like Daddy always brought, then it is magical.

Children seem to get the whole wonder thing. Play and delight are part of who they are. Somehow, we train it out of them as they grow into the reality of adult life. Re-capturing delight and wonder is a hard slug for a lot of us. Imagination and play speak to the creativity of God’s creation. When we lose them, a little bit of the holy is lost.

As I wrote my Christmas list for 2024, I thought a lot about Daddy and Christmas. I miss him, but I don’t want to live the past over again. I want to always move forward, and I want to make magic and find magic everywhere I can. It’s on my list, “find the magic.” I want more wonder and delight in my life. I want to give it to other people. I want to lighten up in this season of love and joy.

Television advertising sometimes hits the nail on the head — “what the world needs now is love sweet love.” May you find the peace, hope, joy and love that is the promise of Christmas. Delight along the way. Set the feast as you are able. Christ the guest is on the way.

Lib Campbell is a retired Methodist pastor, retreat leader, columnist and host of the blogsite www.avirtualchurch.com. She can be contacted at libcam05@gmail.com