Christmas is Right Around the Corner
My husband was lucky enough to grow up on a farm, on the edge of the heart of Nashville, Tennessee. He had around twenty four acres to explore during his childhood, a river that backed up to the land and allowed him to fish on those lazy summer days, and a plethora of farm animals to keep him company. Now, with all that land comes a lot of upkeep. As my father in law worked with a business that was open seven days a week/ twenty- four hours a day, he did not have the luxury of doing the upkeep himself. Through the years, he and his wife hired a cast of characters to outsource the work needed to keep up the place. There was David who did tractor work and carpentry, Mike who landscaped, Kathy who kept the house clean and let my husband ride her vacuum (even though he filled her shoes with yellow mustard when she wasn’t looking), Ellen who gardened, and then there was Robert. I am sure there are many more I am unaware of, but I always think of Robert.
My husband, Taylor, was a seven year old snaggle tooth tow head when Robert entered his life. I’m assuming it was sometime after Thanksgiving when Taylor’s mother gave him some sort of direction or correction in behavior when she sternly said, “Taylor, Christmas is right around the corner.” Taylor most likely huffed and puffed, then went about his business for a while. At some point, not too long after the direction from his mother, the doorbell rang, and Taylor took it upon himself to answer. As he opened the heavy front door with all his might, he was met by a man named Robert. Robert was a six foot tall, very fashionable, twenty- something year old black man. He was dressed to the nines and had just stepped out of his small sedan. Taylor looked at Robert, then read the front decorative plate on his car that said “me so horny”. He then glanced at the back, only to read “freak me” spelled out in a custom license plate. To Robert’s defense, he was driving his girlfriend’s car.
I’m sure Taylor’s seven year old self was very confused. Robert told him he was here to do some work for his mother but never told him his name. Taylor left the handsome man at the front door and walked back to the kitchen to find his mom. Once found, he simply announced, “Mom, Christmas is here!” And right then and there, the nickname for Robert stuck. From then on, he would only be referred to as “Christmas” since Taylor took his mother’s warning a little too literally. It clearly must have been him who was right around the corner.
Christmas stuck around for years. He was a relative of Mike’s and would come in to do odd jobs from time to time. No one ever has a negative thing to say about him either. The thing I find interesting, however, is that no matter what type of work he did, he never got dirty. Apparently, he could be digging in dirt all day, assisting David with woodworking, or almost accidentally cutting his finger off while chopping wisteria and not a wrinkle or speck would land on him. He could come and go after a day of labor and look like he was fresh and ready to for a night out on the town. It was quite an impressive attribute.
After my husband and I were married, I drug him to the local flea market at the Nashville fairgrounds to partake in a hunt for hidden gems for our first home. There was one particular booth I loved and wanted him to see. As we walked around the Nashville Fairgrounds, I heard a man calling, “Taylor!” Taylor looked up, made a beeline for the older man and gave him a huge, familiar embrace. I was confused until Taylor introduced me to the man I had heard about for years. It was the one and only Christmas. The two caught up, laughed, and said their goodbyes after a while. It turns out he was helping one of his friends sell his beautiful woodworking but was mostly there for moral support and conversation. And it turns out Christmas is just as wonderful and well- dressed as everyone said.
Every now and then my mother-in-law or sister-in-law will tell me they bumped into Christmas. They always follow up with how Christmas gave them a huge hug at the flower nursery or honked down White Bridge Road as he passed them getting goods at the vegetable stand. I don’t think he still has the personalized license plate, though. I also don’t think he still has the girlfriend. I, myself, haven’t seen him since our encounter at the flea market, but I am hoping it will not be the last time we interact. Besides, don’t we all need a little more Christmas in our life?
Why not keep the holiday spirit year round? This sweet book, “Christmas is ALWAYS Right Around the Corner!” by Marisela D. Garza will help you see and feel Christmas all year long. It’s a perfect book for any age. Discover it at your local bookstore. Here in Nashville, why not visit Parnassus Books or order online.
Looking for a customized plate like Christmas? Perhaps you don’t want one exactly like his, but click here to order your own. They also offer other customizable items. It’s a great white elephant gift option and allows you to get really creative.