Photo by Highlander
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Suggested prompt...
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Write a piece using one of your holiday memories creatively.
Step one... write three holiday memories using just one sentence.
Step two... pick the one that you feel the strongest about.
Step three... use that memory to create a poem or story,
not just a telling of the memory, but make us see and feel and experience
the emotions, the sights, the smells, the sounds in a unique way.
(This process may take a bit longer than 5 minutes,
but memories can take a smidge of time )
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Remember all prompts are only suggestions,
you may use this image creatively any way that moves you.
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When I was little, we would travel to my Gram’s house on Christmas Eve and celebrate Christmas with a delicious dinner, opening wonderful surprises and spending priceless amounts of time with family.
It was Christmas Eve and we were all getting ready to go to Gram’s house. My mom was looking for my boots, singing me that song that she always would sing to me (“Put your shoes on Lucy, don-cha know yur in the city”).
I was so excited and couldn’t wait to get into the car. The ride to Grammy’s on Christmas Eve was always so exciting for me and this year, it’s snowing. Snow is coming down like the biggest snowflakes you’d ever seen in your life. Close your eyes and picture them.
We’re in the car and we’re ready to go, so I thought we were. “Wait”, mommy says, “I forgot something.” She always forgets something on Christmas Eve. You know, I really don’t recall my brother being in the car with me but I know that he was. This was the adventure of a lifetime for a little girl. Daddy told me that we just might see Santa in his sleigh on the way to Grammy’s house. Mommy comes back and we’re off to Grammy’s house. She didn’t bring anything back with her though, maybe she forgot again and just decided to leave it.
As we’re driving, I’m gazing out the window in search of anything that would remotely resemble a reindeer, a sleigh, a chubby red and white suit; anything that appeared to be Santa. Whoa, daddy’s doing that again. My stomach just about jumped out of my body for a minute. “Daddy, stop it. I don’t like it when you do that.” I told him. He loved catching us by surprise when going over those little hills. It was fun, I’ll admit but I had to play along with him.
“Aren’t we there yet, daddy?” I asked. I knew we weren’t, but I was waiting so long and there was no sign of Santa; I was getting anxious for some excitement. “Oh, there he is. See him over there, honey?” Daddy was pointing out the window. I didn’t see anyone, not even a bird or a person. Was he fooling with me? I don’t know; all that I could do was believe my daddy saw Santa and I missed him…again, just like every other Christmas Eve. Humph
I wait for the strange little building that we always go by on the way to Grammy’s house. I just know that’s where Spock lives. Do you remember Spock, from the Starship Enterprise? We watched Star Trek everyday. I know that he must live in this funny little building, it just looks so strange. So, I’ll search for Spock now instead of Santa. Oh, here it is. Look at it, it sits down below the road and that big wire fence all around it must be protecting them from something. Inside the windows, I see all of the little lights but I don’t see any of them. Where are they all? Oh, there it goes. Nope, didn’t get to see Spock either. I suppose at least I can try tomorrow or the next day. At least I don’t have to wait a whole ‘nother year to see Spock.
Hey, if I make my eyes do this; all of the lights are so pretty. “Mommy, can you see the lights like this? Put your eyes like this, mommy, so you can see them. They’re so pretty like this. They’re almost like big colorful snowflakes.”
Yay, we’re finally here at Grammy’s house.
~Digging through the treasure of my memories brings back the feeling of anticipation and imagination in one little girl. Believe me, I was filled with it. I still am to this day. Christmas is a feeling I carry with me all year long and when the season for it finally approaches, it’s like I’m able to pull the inside out in decorations.
~I hope you enjoyed the adventure of riding to my Grammy’s on Christmas Eve with me. Oh…later on in life, I found out that mommy never forgot anything. She would say she did, in order to go back in the house and be Santa’s helper…before we got back home. All of the presents were opened on Christmas Eve at our house. What a great life for a little girl. I was truly blessed.
~ Simply Heather
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