Remembering the Past

This time of year brings back childhood memories for me. I am born of German immigrants to Canada. My parents brought their traditions with them to their new land and I remember Christmas when I was little with fondness. We celebrated on Christmas Eve as they do in Germany which brought a completely different atmosphere to the occasion.

In Canada it is dark early in winter. It was lovely to put on our warm winter clothes to go for a walk and see the lights people had put up on their houses. Every house in the street was decorated in some way for the season. The bright glowing lights with a back drop of snow in the dark night was beautiful. We would come back to the warmth inside with rosy cheeks from the cold. The Christmas tree was alight and gifts were under it. We would have a hot drink, and then my parents would have us sing Christmas carols in German.

We had no relatives in Canada so Christmas was a small affair of the nuclear family. I loved it. There weren’t many gifts under the tree, but we children always had one special present along with the smaller practical ones like clothes. I still remember the year a Susie Homemaker oven was under the tree. It was the biggest gift there and it had my name on it! I imagined what could be inside that present with anticipation. My brothers received an electric race track that year. Wow!

Then there were the packages from Germany that would arrive before Christmas from my Grandmother and my mother’s sister and family. Tante Else would send hand-me-downs from our cousin who was a little older than us. Those pullovers would last years as we grew into and out of them. My mother first put patches on the elbows and then finally made them into short sleeved garments. There were also other gifts in the parcel. My first purse came from Germany.

My grandmother, Oma, sent Nurnberger delicacies in her parcels. All the traditional Christmas treats of Germany made their way across the Atlantic to us every year. Knowing they were on the way heralded Christmas. Those treats were supplemented by my parents’ own German baking.

My father passed away five years ago and my mother this year in October. This first Christmas without parents brings back so many memories. In yoga we speak of living in the present moment. For me, letting go of the past does not mean letting go of the memories. Those memories are part of my present moment. They make the Present richer and the Future rosier by being with me, close to my heart at any moment. My parents brought their memories with them when they immigrated to Canada and shared them with their children. What a gift! Their past is blended with my past and cherished by me in the present moment. And so it goes on. Continuity. Peace to all.

A connection to other places and times is a wonderful gift to both give and receive!