It Could Have Been the Worst Christmas Ever

By Diana Traeger

Facebook Post December 2016
I have repeatedly been asked to post this again this year. I think it is especially fitting to be posted here, in the Clothing Room page....

It could have been the worst Christmas ever……

My children were raised in the Uintah Basin (in eastern Utah) amid all the turmoil and ups and downs of the oil field. This particular year the oil industry had done its magic and crashed leaving all the Basin in economic disaster, just like it always does.

We had a tradition that the whole family loved. On December 26th a plain glass jar was placed in a prominent place in the house where everyone could reach it. During the year pocket change and pennies found in the washer and in parking lots were added to the jar. Sometimes Mom, Dad or the older kids would drop in $10 or even $20. Often the younger kids would pay their tithing and then all the rest of their allowance went into the jar. It was all by choice, each adding what they could, when they could.

Then on Thanksgiving weekend we would all gather as a family to count the money in the jar. There would be excited cries of exclamation around the table. “Wow! It’s going to be AMAZING this year!” “Just think of all the stuff we can buy!” “I had no idea this jar could hold so much!”

And then the hunt would be on…. The hunt for that special family…. The family that would be the recipients of our shopping with all that money.

This particular year, little Jonathan was the most excited. All year the older kids had been talking about how they would each carry something. Everyone would sneak up to the unsuspecting home, carefully put their armload on the porch, then quietly sneak off back into the dark. One of the oldest would linger just a few moments, then ring the door bell and RUN!!!! This year Jonathan would finally be allowed to help carry presents to the doorstep!

But, this year was different in another way, too….

It was the weekend after Thanksgiving. My husband and I kept putting off the kids’ questions of, “When are we going to count the money?” Neither of us wanted to face what we knew we had to do.

Finally, we called them all together. I guess the looks on our faces told the kids something was wrong. My husband quietly explained that the year had really taken its toll on our family business. We were barely surviving financially. We could not do the Christmas family this year. In fact, if we were going to buy presents for our family, we would have to use the money in the jar for them. There were audible gasps from around the room and cries of “No!”

Christmas was always a simple fare in our house. We didn’t believe in lavish amounts of money being spent on presents. We liked to keep the spirit of Christmas centered on Christ. Lots of expensive presents just didn’t support that idea. Doing the Christmas family was what made the season really special. And here we were, taking that away.

One by one the kids quietly left the room. My husband and I looked at each other; the anguish on his face was evident. I squeezed his hand and said, “We didn’t have any choice.” The pain was tangible.

A short time later, we were surprised by all five kids silently filing back into the room as a group. They stood before us, clearly with something on their minds. Harold Jr, the oldest spoke up. “We have been talking, and well, Jonathan has a plan he wants you to hear.” He gently nudged his little brother forward and kept his hands on Jonathan’s shoulders.

“We want to do the Christmas family!” Jonathan pleaded, tears beginning to well in his small eyes. I started to explain again to him, but Jr silenced me with a look and squeezed Jonathan’s shoulder and told him to tell us the rest of his plan.

Excitedly Jonathan told us how we could use the money for the Christmas family like we had planned. In confusion, I looked at all the kids. They all had huge smiles and were nodding in agreement. “But,” I said, “if we do that, you won’t have any presents.”

“Oh but we will!” exclaimed Mark, just a few years younger than Jr. 

“Yes!” cried Seth (18 months younger than Mark) “We will make each other coupons!”

“Love coupons!” cried out Kami, (18 months older than Jonathan) as she bounced up and down.

“Please!” plead Jonathan.

My husband and I looked at each other. Tears streamed down my cheeks. He was dabbing at his eyes. “Well,” he said, “I guess we better get the money in that jar counted and get to finding a family!” Shrieks of joy and wild dances erupted in our living room as all of us made a beeline for the Christmas jar.

Our traditional Christmas Eve activities were a little different that year. Supper was ground beef stew because we couldn’t afford the normal turkey. But it didn’t matter. The air was tinged with excitement. We acted out the birth of Christ with each of the kids taking one or two parts to cover all the story. Harold Jr. was still nursing his ankle, the one he had twisted as he fell in a ditch running away from the Christmas family’s house. So all the kids catered to him, bringing him a tray with paper and crayons so he could make his coupons. There were giggles as each of us hid our papers from “certain” family members as we created our masterpieces.

Christmas morning dawned at the usual bright and early time (5 a.m.), but this time it wasn’t just the little ones that were awake early; it was ALL of us. We all were eager to watch EACH OTHER unwrap the gifts that we had made. There was no frantic tearing into packages. We all wanted to see the expressions on the faces of the recipients as they read the things we had promised to do for them on the coupons.

So the presents were opened one by one as the rest of the family looked on. Some coupons were serious; I will wash the dishes for you when it is your turn to do them. I will carry the buckets of water to the horse trough for you.

Some were funny; I will pick up your stinky socks for you before Mom sees them. I will fix your hair for you (from a brother to his sister).

Some were loving; I will give you a hug on demand. I will give you a foot massage when you get home from work.

The rest of the day was spent playing old family favorite games. Eating popcorn and laughing together.

Yes, it could have been the worst Christmas ever……But instead it was the BEST Christmas ever!!!!