From
about mid-October until Christmas was always a magical and much anticipated
time when I was young.
Probably
not an uncommon statement from a kid. My mom should have been a party planner,
because our house was always decked out for the season. We were the house that
people do that double-take with, because looking only once wasn’t enough to
take it all in.
Mom’s
favorite holiday was Halloween. Since I’m a fantasy/paranormal writer, it’s
safe to say that rubbed off on me, and with kids of my own, I enjoy Halloween
in a completely new way, with my kids excitement about dressing up and their
enjoyment in the *fun* scares.
While
her favorite might have been Halloween, Mom excelled in overall holiday
planning. My mom was a generous lady. She never liked cooking, but she loved to
bake the holiday pies and cookies and other goodies that come with the season,
and everyone who knew us came away during the holiday season with loads of
culinary delights. If you ask me to name my favorite food ever, it would have
to be Mom’s pumpkin pie.
It’s
probably because this time was usually so joyous that one memory sits there,
lumpy and misshapen and not a fit with the rest.
Don’t
ask me how old I was, but I came down the stairs one night – going to get some
water I think – and Mom was on the couch, staring at the Christmas tree. The
packages weren’t under the tree yet, which was odd since Mom tended to put them
under as soon as the tree went up (Mom is not a last minute shopper – in fact,
I’m pretty sure her shopping is done in July.) Now I haven’t believed in Santa ever, so it was no question in my mind
about who presents come from.
What
set this memory in my mind so sharply was my mother’s face the few moments
before she realized I was in the room. At the time I didn’t have the words or
the emotional knowledge to name what emotions were in play. All I knew was it
wasn’t good.
Several
years later we were talking, and in the way of conversations everywhere,
somehow that night came up, and I asked Mom what was going on.
She
confided that when I saw her, the reality of our situation was none of us kids
were going to get Christmas presents. It had been a bad year with lots of
doctor bills and not as much work as they hoped to get. Maybe they would be able to get a practical clothing item, but
certainly nothing beyond that. Then she told me that a couple days after I saw
her that night, her uncle heard about our situation. Without her or my dad
asking, he went out and got presents for us kids and told her that it was his
early Christmas gift to her and he would not accept any money or repayment.
Mom
told me she cried while she wrapped them. She told me it was the best gift
she’d ever gotten.
While
my childhood would never fit in a Dickinson narrative, there were a few years
there where we did with minimal, so hearing after-the-fact that no presents was
a possibility didn’t surprise me. What did surprise me was the lurch in my
chest at the thought of it as a near
reality. That didn’t make sense – after all, we were several years past by
then, and I was a grown person who understood economic realities.
That
lurch, though, was real. And as time has marched on, I think I understand the
reason for it, just like now that I’m a mother I understand the look on my
mother’s face that night. The holidays were a safe and sacred time. The rest of
the year – okay, it’s life, and life happened. But in my memory, the holidays
were apart from that, not touched with the ickiness that could happen at other
times.
If
I didn’t get presents that year, I think that safety and warmth that the
holidays (or the thought of) always caused would have disappeared. I wouldn’t
have had that protective bubble anymore that helped get me through bad times,
and the loss of that would have been a greater tragedy than not getting a doll
under the tree.
So
while Toys for Tots was not responsible for me getting presents that year, I
recognize in a deep and personal way the very good work they are doing.
Toys
for Tots is my favorite holiday charity. There are many excellent charities I
celebrate and give to, but this time of year my thoughts and my wishes are for
the kids who are not in the best circumstances and are in danger of not having
a gift under their own tree. It’s not the material item that matters (though
it’s always nice to get a great gift, right?) What I never want them to lose is
that safe warmth that should categorize the holidays, a warmth that sometimes
might be the only thing that gets them through the rest of the year.
Which
leads me to the 12 Days of Halloween!
12
Days of Halloween is my (and many other excellent authors) way of having a
great time and celebrating the beginning of this wondrous time of year – with
giveaways and gifts and raising money for Toys for Tots!
What
is involved?
First!
My novel Stone Guardian (http://www.daniellemonsch.com/dani/books/stone-guardian/)
is on a very special sale. From now until Halloween, it is half-off with part
of the proceeds going to Toys for Tots! So you get a book for cheaper than
usual, and a chunk of the money will be going to an amazing cause! Huzzah!
And
on the other side, I’ll be sharing lots of giveaways! Ebooks (donated by many
generous authors) gift cards, swag sets, a Coach (!) bag, and finally…
An iPad Mini!
Yes,
you read that right – an iPad mini with a special Entwined Realms designed
cover set is the grand prize.
So
if you are interested, please keep up with me at twitter (www.twitter.com/Danielle_Monsch)
facebook (www.facebook.com/DanielleMonschAuthor)
or my blog (RomanticGeekGirl.com) with all the ways to win.
Let’s
celebrate the beginning to this great time of year, have a great party, maybe
win some stuff, and most important of all – support Toys for Tots and make sure
they can help a lot of kids this year!
