Page 53 - The Holiday Issue San Diego Woman Magazine

s I was growing up, I spent a ton of time mother was no longer around to indulge me.
which meant taking him
out of his car seat and his
seat belt. And that stop also
seemed to take forever. My
son took the opportunity to
call the hospital, but they
weren’t able to give him
much information apart
from saying that his wife
was in intensive care.
The 5-hour drive
seemed like 10, but eventu-
ally, we got to the hospital.
My son jumped out of the
car leaving us to park his
and ours and ran inside.
He knew the hospital fairly
well as his daughter was
born there. It took us a
while to find him as we
were directed to my grand-
daughter’s room. The nurs-
es said she was fine. She
had a bit of a bruise from
the seat belt, but nothing
more.
Meanwhile, my son had
found his wife and came
back to get us. The doc-
tors had put her in ICU as
a precautionary measure
given the violence of the
accident, but were going
to transfer her to a regular
room and probably keep
her the night just to be on
the safe side. I think they
found it hard to believe that
she’d not suffered any inju- need the hood, so she got me a simple
ries that they could find.
The car was totaled for
all intent and purpose, but
the three passengers suf-
fered only minor bruising
– even the one who wasn’t
wearing her seatbelt. It was was an unnecessary luxury. And I should quit
days before Christmas, but
we all knew that we’d been
given our best present early. all our gifts, and I couldn’t help but notice
Aat my grandmother’s house who lived I tried not to pout, but I was feeling a bit sad.
about 20 miles from us. We were in the as After the rush of package opening was
yet unincorporated area of Lakewood, and passed as I sat amid the pile of wrapping
she lived in Long Beach. Many of today’s paper and ribbons, my mother asked if I’d
freeways had not been built, so it took some opened my stocking gift. Santa always left
time to get there. And as a kid, it seemed to us a tiny gift in our stockings. I shrugged and
take forever. kinda crawled over to the stockings, took
I loved her a lot and always enjoyed our
mine down and reached inside. I found the
visits, so the time to get there was well worth tiny package amidst the candy and nuts and
it. And I think I may have been here favorite opened it sort of indifferently. Inside, I found
grandkid – altho that is another story – but a jewelry box which I opened without even
she bought me most of my clothes while I a clue, but inside of that was my class ring. I
was growing up. I especially remember her was speechless.
buying me coats. We’d often go shopping
together “downtown.” She didn’t drive, so
we’d walk to the bus. Wait. And then ride it to
our destination.
She was a great shopper. We’d go to
many stores, but Buffums was her favorite, I
think. In those days, we had Broadway and
Bullocks and many others to choose from.
And after our shopping sprees, we’d head to
Woolworths where we’d sit at the counter,
and I’d play with the countertop jukeboxes. It
was a fun time.
And Christmas was a great time, but my
presents from her were always practical. I’d
shake the boxes and pretend like I didn’t
know what was in them, but they always
contained the same thing – clothes. I liked
the clothes, but once in a while, I would have
enjoyed something fanciful or playful.
She passed when I was 14, and the next
later. We had a big family and money for extras A Stocking
coat I owned was one I bought for myself years
was tight, so my wardrobe funds were few and
barely covered needs let alone wants. Stuffer
One of the fads in my high school years
were hooded sweaters – the forerunner of
today’s hoodie except they were knitted, i.e. By Sharon Hightower
legitimate sweaters not sweatshirts. I’m sure
my grandmother would have indulged me, And the more I thought about it, the
but my mother was adamant that I didn’t more I could hardly believe it. I kept thinking
of all that it took for my mom to get this ring.
cardigan. She would have had to go to my high school,
And she broke my heart when she
refused to let me order my class ring. I think wait in a huge line, and somehow come back
weeks later to pick it up – all without me
I was a junior, but in any event, it was time. seeing her.
I was going to graduate soon, and I wanted My folks were fond of saying that good
my class ring more than anything, but she things often come in small packages and this
stuck to her guns. We couldn’t afford it. It time that was certainly true. My Dad liked
to add that it was the thought that counted
going on about it. thus excusing his mom for always buying me
And Christmas came, and we’d opened practical clothes. But this time I knew how
much thought had gone into this surprise,
how skimpy my pile was now that my grand- and it was delightful.
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