Page 21 - SMH 2018 3rd edition

Thanksgiving week had brought families together to celebrate another year of hard work in the mountains. Time
to catch up on family news and see the newborns and check on the elderly. A time where different families would
come together at a week long church function. It would include preachers taking turns preaching and singing till late
in the day. The Cantrell’s loved to sing and grandpa and his brother would lead the singing. Mom loved to sing and
sat right up in front of the assembly singing to the heavens.

Everyone enjoyed grandma singing, but she was shy and wouldn’t stand in front facing the crowds. She would
instead sing a duo with grandpa sitting in the front row facing grandpa. But, she could face anyone when she had
something to say or wanted to preach at you for a reason. I remember coming home from church as a ten year old
and she was staying with us at the time. She asked me what I learned at church that evening during Bible study. I
was young and could barely remember anything of the Bible study that night. So, she sat me down and made me re-
peat Bible verses for another couple of hours. A few years later she passed away as a strong Christian mountain
woman.

With the passing of Thanksgiving and the cooler nights of autumn, grandpa was trying to save a few more pen-
nies before his Christmas walk to Knoxville and back. He had sold some items he had made to neighbors and had
loaded up a few hand made things to take to the city to sell or trade. Grandma didn’t like the idea of spoiling a child
with gifts unless they earned it. Money was always tight and she believed should only be used on items of necessity.

Mom wasn’t old enough to understand why grandpa was going to be gone for a week and wanted to come along
on his walk. A couple of the older brothers were big enough to come and see the big city. Years later mom would
make the trek to Knoxville and back to the mountains by way of train, but on this day she had to watch her dad head
down the creek without her. She knew that she had to fly straight for the next week under the watch of her mom.
Grandma let her know that this was a week when the saints would let grandpa know if she was good or not. So,
mom behaved and did everything her ma told her to do. She knew that this Christmas would mostly like be like the
last one when she awoke to find some fruit in her stocking and a note with a Bible verse or song written upon it.

The week turned into 10 days as grandpa and the boys had to deal with some bad weather and enjoying an extra
day in South Knoxville with kin folk. They returned to the mountain home about five days before Christmas and just
in time to find a cedar tree to cut as a Christmas tree. Nothing to fancy on the tree, but the small tin star on top was
the most important thing to them. Grandpa had made the star from his tin metal equipment. I still have his tin drink-
ing cup he made that also drank out of as a child when visiting my grandparents. Mom was just glad he was back
from the Knoxville trip to climb up in his arms for another front porch evening swing.

Mom awoke for Christmas morning with the excitement
of any child and ran from the girls bedroom to the living
room to check her stocking. It was filled with apples, nuts
and a special treat of an orange. Grandpa had brought back
some oranges and other special foods that mountain folks
couldn’t grow. Breakfast was a cooking and grandpa sent
mom out to the chicken house to get a few more extra eggs.
Mom ran to the chicken house and upon her return to the
cabin she looked up at the front porch swing. “Oh my,” she
said to herself, as she started to just giggle with excitement.
There laying cross the swing was the prettiest dress she had
ever seen. Sitting on the corner of the swing was a store
bought little doll with the same type dress on it.

Photo credit: Zula Maples
Grandpa was at the door and took the eggs from her and handed them to grandma. A big hug and it was the best
Christmas ever. She didn’t get that dress dirty nor the little doll. A few years later it was time for her to let go and
share them with her niece . Christmas was about sharing joy and it is the one childhood Christmas she remembers to
this day.

The End.

21 Smoky Mountain Hiker