My Favorite Christmas Memory

when i was really young, we lived in a first floor apartment in taiwan. being on the first floor, we had a yard with a tall fence. i remember vaguely that my dad would attempt to put up christmas lights even though the holiday wasn't that popular back then. in those days, we anticipated christmas eve like no other holiday because santa clause visited our house. all of us would struggled to stay awake until midnight waiting for the familiar thud of a package dropped into our yard. the anticipation would keep us restless, although being the youngest, i probably fell asleep more than stayed awake. as soon as we heard something land in the yard, we would rush out of the front gate to catch a glimpse of santa himself. however, he was never once caught. our presents were usually something homemade or something useful but i think the magic was in waiting for santa. the last time santa stopped by our house, i was in second grade. i still remember i got some pencils and other stuff that i showed off to my classmates. no one believed in my recounting of our magical event, but i defended my position by stating that you had to be christian in order to receive presents from santa. (boy, was i wrong!) the next year, i was so disappointed that santa didn't come to our house anymore. i think dad said that because we were growing up, we no longer needed presents from santa, and he was off to visit other little children. i think i was so sad that i felt physical pain.

years later when we no longer believed in santa claus, our dad told us that he had set up the whole thing for us. my mom made many of our presents, and they would be wrapped up and given to the son of a friend to drop into our yard around midnight. he had to hide quickly so that we would not catch a glimpse of him. the year santa stopped coming to our house was the year the son left taiwan to study abroad. knowing the truth did not diminish the wonder and magic i felt in those early years. it simply reaffirmed for me how loving and thoughtful my parents were and are still towards us.

--in loving memory of my father on the 13th anniversary of his passing, who along with my mother, taught us the importance of family and sacrificial love.