The Christmas Box

The Old Christmas Box

         We have a box of odds and ends that we retrieve from the attic each Christmas. Many items have been placed in the tattered but sturdy old box over the years.

         There’s a string or two of Christmas lights that haven’t worked in this decade; it’s a good place to look for spare bulbs. There are many odd looking parts left over from assembling the kids' toys on Christmas Eve. Amazingly, the toys seemed to work okay without them.

         There is an unused 1976 calendar commemorating the U.S. bi-centennial. And a roll of exposed film, long ago expired, that still sparks speculation about the images it might contain.

         There are two Christmas cards all sealed up and ready to mail — except for the incomplete addresses of friends who have moved far away. And some old decorations we don’t use anymore but can’t bring ourselves to throw away.

         Rummaging through the old box each year has about the same emotional impact as looking at old photos made when the kids were little or when mom and dad were still alive. And it usually prompts our annual discussion on the correct way to pronounce Poinsettia.

         We should probably throw the old box out; but then maybe the next generation will be amused and intrigued with the ancient treasures it holds. — I think we’ll leave it for them.

Merry Christmas