A Christmas stocking for my mother Little Legacy 24

I was about 6, it was nearly Christmas, you were playing the piano for our carol singing rehearsal.  A group of local children and their families had gathered at our house to practice.  I was hopelessly excited.  You tried to calm me down, told me to stop showing off, but I just got sillier.  I started to make up my own nonsense words to Little Donkey.  I got giddier by the second.  I argued, you tried to plough on with the singing.

I remember the excitement of our stockings.  When we were really small we each got a pair of your woolly tights, with tiny gifts wrapped in tissue paper stuffed all the way down each long leg.

I remember your delight at our letters to Father Christmas, which you kept right from us being small children to being drunken students back for the holidays.

I remember you sent me to the primary school production in black knickers the day I had to wear a white snowflake costume.

I remember the doily and pipe cleaner angel I made at primary school which you were so proud of.  L made one this week at school.

I remember dancing round the kitchen to a Blues Brother, Soul Sister CD.

L remembers pulling crackers with you.

I remember you singing Golden Slumbers to Mr G last Christmas, and his wriggly 2 year old body suddenly stopping completely still to listen.

Most of all mum I realise how much you did behind the scenes, to make Christmas magical. I sat in L's first school carol concert yesterday, every bit the proud mum. Later on, I cajoled two overexcited, over tired children to bed, whilst answering question after question about Christmas.  I think I caught a glimpse, just a little one, behind the scenes of my childhood.

(I didn't realise until I previewed this post, but when you look at the photo I just took, in the top right, in the reflection in the mirror behind the angel, is my mum, amongst the people in our wedding photo).

More ideas for memory collectors
Three lovely ideas for recording family life and stories.  Check out Save Every Step to create a family timeline. Or download the Record Their Stories app, by following @recordstories on Twitter today you are entitled to a free copy, they will DM with you the details.  Look out for my life writing link up and create and publish a 'Memory Book' in the new year.

Little legacy is a remembrance project , a positive and creative space, to celebrate small things handed down by predecessors.  Feel free to link up a little legacy you've been thinking about this week, or to leave one in the comments.  Here's the code and here's more on Little Legacy

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