“A Surprise Worth the Wait”

by Rick Spencer (and Martha May) 

(Editor's Note:  The story was told by Martha Spencer May, and was embellished by brother Rick Spencer using bold text.)

This year’s Christmas story is one of my sister Martha’s favorite memories, with a few of my comments (in bold italics) added.

Remember how when we were little, Mother and Dad would pile us kids into the back seat of the family Sedan (You can imagine the “pile” when six kids are in the back seat.)  either the night of Dec. 23 or early the next morning, Dec. 24, and we would head to Dundee (a small community between Wichita Falls and Seymour, Texas)  to spend Christmas Eve with Grandmother and Granddad Capps.  We'd have a big Christmas dinner and then go to church.  First Baptist Church of Dundee always held a Christmas Eve Christmas ceremony with singing and the Christmas story.  Every child got a paper sack filled with an apple, orange, pecans, walnuts and Christmas ribbon candy.  After that we would go back to our grandparents and go right to bed because Santa knew we always spent Christmas in Dundee and would bring all our presents there.  We three girls always got a doll and two other presents--usually socks, underwear and a small toy.  I don't remember what you boys got--maybe a truck or cowboy guns? (Actually, the boys also got underwear and socks.  Just what we always wanted.)

We'd get up early on Christmas day (and we are talking about real early.) and open all our wonderful presents.  Then about noon, we'd drive the 30 miles or so to Holiday and have a great big Christmas feast with all the Spencers.  There wouldn't be many presents there.  Back then grandparents only gave small presents like a box of stationery or socks to the grandkids, but there would usually be lots of Christmas candy and nuts around  (One year, Grandmother Spencer gave all the grand kids a dollar bill.  I thought I was rich.) 

One Christmas, Santa didn't leave much for us kids under the Capps' Christmas tree.  I think the girls got our dolls but nothing else.  Again I don't remember what Santa brought the boys, but it wasn't much. 

I remember feeling a little sad and forlorn on the long drive back home (it was only about 60 miles but if you were in a “pile” of six kids in the back seat, it really seemed like a long trip.) that Christmas had not quite been what I had hoped for.  But the disappointment turned to unbridled glee when we got close to our house.  In the side yard was a shiny red, green, and yellow swing set.  It was brand new with two swings and  ends made for climbing.  I couldn't believe our good fortune -- to have our very own park playground in our very own yard!!  Dad had arranged to have it delivered and set up while we were gone.  

I remember the swing set but had forgotten the details about its wonderful arrival.  It may be that I did not have the same excitement about the new play thing since as the fifth of six children, I probably waited in a long in line before getting to sit in one of the two seats of the swing.

The moral of the story is that “Good things come for those who wait!” whether girls, boys, wise men, or shepherds.

 

Rick Spencer (and Martha May)