Nakia’s Christmas Memories
Christmas was always a big deal growing up. I don’t remember a Christmas that wasn’t extravagant. My mom loved getting us all in the spirit. She’s known for having “the Christmas house”. I remember baking Santa cookies on Christmas Eve. We’d wake up Christmas morning and find a bite taken out of one and crumbs left behind. Somehow, Santa was able to make it into our house in Ft. Lauderdale where we definitely didn’t have a chimney. That was always a mystery to me. And I remember realizing one year that Santa’s handwriting looked a lot like my mom’s. Till this day I still get gifts from Santa. Through all the years, our many traditions have remained constant.
One of my favorite traditions was putting our Christmas tree together as a family. Every year mom and dad would jokingly bicker about the lights. Tor would hang the first ornament, then we’d all jump in. We’ve always had a gorgeous, winter white and gold tree with angels, doves, tiny dancers, musical notes, and so many other beautiful ornaments. When we were done with the decorations, Tré put the angel on top and I plugged in the lights. We had a music box, and I’d lie in the room for hours staring at our tree and listening to the music box. That was always the most precious moment to me.
Then the bell became a tradition. Now that I’m an adult, I realize how genius of an idea this was on my parent’s part. You know, milk that extra time in the morning to sleep in while the kids go on a scavenger hunt for a solid 30 extra minutes. Over the years and well into our adult years, this tradition has meant so much. Every year for 20+ years, we wake up with so much excitement to continue this tradition together. It’s always been about us, our family, and that’s why the bell is so special to me.
I’m so proud of my mom for writing this family Christmas book, and I’m excited for your family to add this fun tradition into your family Christmas. We’re not just sharing a story; we’re sharing love and joy and the spirit of togetherness. I hope you feel it and that you enjoy making your own precious memories with the bell in the box too!
xo,
Nakia