The Christmas Baby

I arrived on the farm for the first time 36 years ago. I was just three days old when my mom dressed me in a Santa suit, wrapped me in a red blanket and put me under the tree as a gift for her dad. While I do not remember that first Christmas, there were many others with Gumpy that I remember well.

Today is a sad day for me because this is my first Christmas without Gumpy. As a kid, I remember Ema and Gumpy's house being full with family and assorted family friends. We would be munching on fruit passing the time between "rip and tear" (gift opening) and dinner. Christmas would always be one of just three meals each year we would eat in the dining room. The view from the dining room was not as impressive as the view from the kitchen, so Gumpy would sit facing the north. He would start the meal with the traditional Carpenter family grace, "For these and all other blessings, the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen."

I think those were the times Gumpy was in his glory. Most of our family was at home, sharing the season together. Even after Uncle Jim moved, he would call later in the day on Christmas which was good enough for Gumpy. His concern was always that our family stay together.

The tradition died after Gumpy, then Ema retired and started wintering in Florida. Anniversaries, weddings and birthdays served as the impetus for family gatherings instead of Christian holidays. Even pancake breakfast at the fire barn in Vermontville during the Maple Syrup Festival served as a time for us to be together.

The Santa suit no longer fits. I now only get underneath the tree to turn the lights on. New traditions are starting as we all learn how to get along without his big smile. Even now that I am forced to move on with my life without him, this is one Christmas gift that still enjoys time together with my family.