Frosty the Snowman

I just watched Frosty the Snowman. The thing about the Frosty the Snowman show that I've told very few people is that I used to cry every time Frosty melted in the greenhouse. I don't remember the last time I watched the show before this year. I'm pretty sure I didn't cry the last time and I didn't this year, but I did feel a little tingle behind my eyes. I do have a cold or bronchitis or whatever -- probably the only reason I got that little tingle. Well, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I love the song, Frosty the Snowman sung by Jimmy Durante. Brings back all those warm, fuzzy feelings.

I was talking to a friend recently about watching The Wizard of Oz and all of the Peanuts holiday specials when we were kids. It was a big deal to us back then. They were only on once a year. There was no such thing as DVDs or recording it for later. It was - watch it then or wait until next year. The Peanuts specials even had the same commercials every year, Dolly Maddison snack cakes. When they stopped being the sponsors, that was the beginning of the end. Soon, they were developing new specials with different kids as the voices. I never did like the new ones.

The same friend called me last night and one of the first things she said to me was "you get sick every Christmas!". I don't think that's right. I did literally get sick every year, for years, during Christmas vacation when I was a kid, just as soon as that last bell rang to let us out school.

One of my best Christmas memories is of my dad's side of the family all being at our house for Christmas Day. I think I was about six or seven and I was sick. I wasn't allowed to be in the room with everyone, but one by one, they all come to visit with me for a few minutes. While I was alone, I lay still in my bed and listened to all of the conversations and laughter. I know I must have felt a bit sorry for myself, but what I remember now is the love. I also remember getting my first bicycle that year from Santa! Since I was sick, I couldn't go outside and ride it. That was tough.

The house we lived in had three bedrooms. The way the kitchen, one of the bedrooms, the dining room and the living room were situated, if you had the doors to each open, you could walk a circle in the house. My dad, took pity on me and let me ride that new bicycle through the house a very few times that Christmas day. This was totally out of character for my dad. One of the reasons it's such a fond memory. My dad wasn't always the best dad on earth, not by a long shot. But he always said "I love you" and meant it and he occasionally tried to show his love in little odd ways like letting his sick kiddo ride a bike in the house. He also just plain did the best he could with what he had. Just as we all do.