Christmas Through a Knot Hole

I read a lot of sentimental Christmas stories growing up.  Orphans and poor people were as much a part of my holiday season as Santa and bells.  They always had these really meaningful Christmases in which they would "get by" with the pair of shoes or the warm coat.  One of these stories ran something like this.

No room really left in these bags

Once there was a man who was put into prison.  Every day his daughter would come to talk to him through a knot hole in the prison wall.  It got cold and Christmas was coming.  The little girl wanted to give her father something but what would fit through the knot hole [not really sure why she didn't just go to the door...but sentimental stories are like this so bear with me].  So she found some sausage and some long bread and passed them through the knot hole.  Her father was delighted and passed through the knot hole some intricately carved [yes...he was allowed a knife in prison..again...you just have to go with it] wooden toys.  Christmas was saved and presumably everything was pretty great for them afterward.

I know it is a silly story but I just keep thinking about it.  Christmas has always been a big deal in my family.  We do it huge.  Parties and presents and decorating every square inch of the house.  And food...oh the food...more food then you ever dreamed possible.  Every day of December is filled with Christmas.

And then you go on a year trip and you have to pass Christmas through a knot hole.  We live out of three back packs.  And for the next part of our trip we will need winter clothes...so there isn't any room for anything.  We can't do stuff.  We are new to the area so we don't have friends to either go to, or host parties for.


So given those parameters, what gets passed through the knot hole?  Actually, quite a lot of great stuff.  I bought my kids a few surprises for their stockings.  We decorated our landlords tree with paper creations and we have quiet evenings watching Christmas youtube videos on our laptops.


We sing a lot of Christmas songs and I've downloaded the Christmas Carol onto my kindle.

I'm not sure I'm willing to declare a meaningful Christmas because of our lack of materialism this season.  Eden just came into the room and in almost tears asked "But what if I wanted an elephant for Christmas?"  Likely there will be some pain mashing our Christmas through the knot hole.  It is going to be different and Christmas (more than most holidays) is built off of sameness.  There will be short term sadness I suspect.  But, I suspect, when they are older they will remember this Christmas more than all of the grand Christmas explosions we have engaged in in the past.