Popular Posts

Thursday 24 December 2015

Magical Christmas moments

Pushing through the clutter of my memories, I can still clearly see precious moments in time and yes remembered here. My father was a church minister and back then, no one doing that kind of work had any spare money. There was also no real security in the profession really and as God was more concerned with capturing new souls, well dad was not going to get any help there.

He used to build us toys for Christmas. Now in a childs idea of reality what he built back then and the imagination created was pretty well very much right on par. He somehow was able to capture what we needed and I have no idea how he did that. Then with whatever he could scrounge, beg and borrow he was able to create such magic.

There was that small steam engine train he built out of mostly discarded tin cans, to the fret cut wood donkey and cart and yes I just cannot ever forget the toy fort with its sliding front entrance way corner turrets and raised walkway for soldiers to guard the treasures within. Years later, after I had exhausted my imagination he rebuilt that same fort for my younger brother. He was in reality creating for us what he missed himself in the bare existence he experienced as a child. 

What causes someone to do that? 

Love of course was there, but beyond that I believe he also just needed to play himself. So through labour heavy intent he created such mystery captured with each evening in the emotions that happened and in total top secrecy.

How can you keep secrets from children? 

We always knew he was up to something but finding that before Christmas would have spoiled not only the magic that was somehow happening, but would have thrust us away from that time a child needs to develop  their imagination.

Whatever happened it changed me. It changed me in the way I developed into a man. My imagination is as wild as ever now and sometimes it still interferes with my normal life. That all equates to the fact that I in some ways never really grew upand that I am still there playing with that fort. No big deal really and yes God still can't find time to save me from that.

So thanks dad for the toy train, the donkey and cart and yes that wonderful fort and for instilling in me through what you did, such incredible memories and that understanding that in some ways being a child is not really all that bad.

Season Greetings everyone and try to keep a little of that child alive in you this special time...

So if you will excuse me now, I have to play.