The Kissing Place

Tonight Jon and I went into the attic to pull down all the Christmas gear. Keeping two very curious children out of the boxes proved to be quite a challenge.

What to do? Well, I put them to bed so I could quietly open each box.

I love many things about Christmas. It is, by far, my favorite time of year. One thing that I love more than anything is opening up those boxes and looking at all my family "treasures."

This is the Dozier Family Grand Prize when it comes to Christmas stuff. It is a plastic snowman that has a bit of mistletoe dangling down from it.

I believe that my grandmother, Bama, bought this thing in the 1960's. One thing I know for sure is that this alone brings more memories than anything else that I have in my home.

My grandmother would walk each of us under the mistletoe and kiss us every year on Christmas morning. She kissed my parents, my friends, anyone who happened by to drop off, say, a newspaper. This was the kissing place.

My first Christmas in Texas after I got married, I pulled out my Christmas boxes and hark and behold, here was the Dozier Family Grand Prize. I immediately called Dyda to tell him that I would be shipping it back to him immediately.

He said, "Dahlin', this is for your home now. Make sure you kiss your husband under it for many years."

This is my first Christmas without my Dyda, but I did just that tonight.