Monday, December 10, 2012

Christmas memories

Every family has their memories, stories that they tell every year at the holidays.
I have had this picture for years and didn't know the entire story around it until just after I got married.  My father told the story to my husband  and and I that Christmas.  You can't see it in this picture but under that sweater I have on a gun and holster set.  A pink gun and holster set.
The year was 1956, I was two years old. Yes you can do the math to figure out my age. :) Anyway my mother wanted nothing more than to have a nice frilly little girl.  I wanted nothing more than to play with my brother.  And that year I wanted a gun and holster set, just like my older brother,
That was all I wanted from Santa Claus. My mother always made sure we got the one thing we wanted the most for Christmas. However, she was determined people would know it was a girl wearing that gun and holster.  She insisted on a pink one. What are the chances of finding a pink gun and holster set in 1956 on the east coast?  They had everyone looking everywhere for this and finally a few weeks before Christmas one was found in a tiny little store in the next state. :) I had my pink gun and holster set.
Fast forward to 2003, my husband and I moved to Arizona.  One weekend we drove down to Tombstone. We were wandering in the general store looking for gifts for our parents back east. I saw several little boys guns and holster sets on a shelf, Something caught my eye, I looked again. There at the bottom,,,was that,,,, YES a pink gun and holster set! I screamed for my husband who came running over thinking I had hurt myself or worse. Needless to say I bought the gun and holster set. I had no choice. It was the only one in the entire store, it had been waiting for me.
 When I got home I couldn't wait to call my father to tell him. He roared with laughter and wished my mother was still alive to see it.  
That set now hangs on the wall of my living room, which is basically my office.  It's there to remind me of Christmas past, to never forget them and most of all to never, ever give up on my dreams.

2 comments:

Sarah Raplee said...

What a fun story! Your mother was a determined woman, and a loving mother, obviously.

BTW, I love to decorate with items that have a story to tell.



Judith Ashley said...

Elaine,

What memories your story stirs. One of my most cherished pictures is of me at Christmas with my cowgirl hat, gun and boots (no not pink). When my brother who was 3 years younger than I got his cowboy boots, etc. I had a Sparkle Plenty Doll!

And of course you bought the pink gun and holster set...how could you not?