The first Christmas parade I remember was the Christmas of 1970. I was five years old. My sister Katie was six and was a Brownie. Her Brownie troop got invited to ride on a Christmas float with Santa. I got to go to the parade but I had to watch from the street level. Being only fifteen months apart in age, Katie and I were always attached at the hip. We even slept together in the same twin size bed through middle school and into high school. We had our own beds. We just loved being together. We always have. But that Christmas day Katie got to without me. Tonight I got to drive my crazy car in the local parade. It was the most perfect, small town, Christmas parade. I was shocked at the amount of people that lined the streets of Fountain Inn, South Carolina. I loved seeing the local horse riders, high school bands, dancers, Shriners and floats. As I drove my little car, Eli and Tracy walked alongside me and handed out candy to the children that sat along the parade route. I turned on Christmas music as I slowly crept along behind the float in front of me. I did my very best to wave at as many people as I could. As I drove slowly along I thought of my sister Katie. I remembered the day she was in the parade and waved down at me. She was six, I was five, it was a child moment Ive always remembered. But for what ever reason I remember her red hair and her smiley face waving at me. She also threw candy straight to me. Its a great memory. Tonight I was the one in the parade. On the way home I called her and we began to laugh almost immediately. Its what weve always done. I love how some things trigger great memories. Tonight reminded me of simpler days. Where your community comes together with home made floats, the local policemen direct traffic, you get a happy wave from people you see in church on Sunday and get to see their new grand baby. The fire trucks are screaming their sirens, people stand to cheer when the army trucks come through and the crowd erupts when Santa finally shows up. Tonight took me back to that five year old girl. She was the little girl standing at the front of the crowd, waiting for that one special float that carried her most important person, her sister. That same little girl drove along Fountain Inn tonight. She was driving along smiling, waving and thanking The Lord for some of the most incredible blessings.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 02:29:24 +0000
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