Christmas Wishes 2024

Colleen’s Christmas Chronicles.. my 12 days of Christmas memories..

Editor’s Note: This was shared by Colleen Dougherty Forar, a 1974 graduate of Osmond High School. Her father, John, worked with Charlie Pfanstiel, who is in the bucket with him in this picture. ————— I grew up in a small community in Nebraska, where my mother was a teacher and my father was a lineman. My father had access to the Bucket truck and would be the ‘go to’ guy to hang the Christmas decorations on Main Street.

As a young girl, I remember watching him and his co worker, Charlie, share the bucket and hang the most amazing decorations from one street light to the next. To me, they were amazing...

It made me so proud to watch ‘my’ dad being ‘that’ guy.

As I reflect on those Christmases in Osmond, Nebraska, I realize it was a perfect place for our family to grow up.

I have memories of seeing Santa come to town... while we waited at the Town Hall to see him. He drove his sleigh into town, pulled by ponies, not Reindeer. But in my eyes, it didn’t matter because it was ‘Santa’. and there were ‘oh’s and ahhh’s’ from the crowd of children, as well as eyes that twinkled with excitement.

Brown paper bags of hard candies, an apple and those minty candies and peanuts, were handed out to all us that came to see Santa. Some of us were lucky enough to sit on his lap and share our Christmas wishes. And some of us... were to shy to do that...

I remember going Christmas Caroling from house to house.. singing all the ‘vintage’ Christmas songs that we grew up hearing, singing and sharing. Walking house to house and huddling together to stay warm and stay in tune..

We were a blend of young and old... but we all wanted to gift the neighborhood with carols of Christmas. I miss that..

I cannot recall a Christmas without snow. The weather has certainly changed as I now recall several ‘brown’ Christmases.

The songs that come to mind during that time, are..

‘I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus’ ‘Its Beginning to look a lot like Christmas’ *Gramma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’ As well as;; “Silent Night’ “Joy to the World’ “O Come Emmanuel’ And many more. I grew up listening to Christmas songs that will forever make me smile and remember the innocence of that time in my life.. no hidden or suggestive messages.. just Christmas music that brought smiles and excitement.

I feel, Christmas is about looking through the eyes of the children in our lives. Isn’t Christmas supposed to be a magical time? A giving time?

I am blessed to work with children and each Christmas I spend with them, allows me to once again, ‘see’ the magic they see..

I will treasure those memories for a lifetime..

Ho Ho Ho...