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Since my "child of immigrants" post went viral, I thought I'd share a good story about my Ma's first Xmas in the US (Detroit). Born just after my Ukrainian grandparents were liberated from a Nazi labor camp, my mom spent the first 4 years of her life in a refugee camp... (1/7)
Her first Christmas in Detroit, age 5, she and my grandparents lived in a rented attic space and the landlord and his family invited my mom to come downtown to the famous Hudson's building and meet Santa Claus...(2/7)
She wore her nice dress and waited patiently in line, in a world of shimmering wonders that was Detroit's Hudson's store at Xmas time, a miracle compared to the Red Cross barracks she called home for most of her childhood... (3/7)
While in line, an elf gave Ma the magical Dayton Hudson's catalog, which she looked at w/ wide-eyed wonder. Kids were supposed to show Santa exactly what they wanted, though Ma's English wasn't great yet, so she mainly ogled the catalog and ignored the elf's instructions...(4/7)
When she got to the front of the line and sat on Santa's lap for the first time, it was amazing--the lights and the music and the trees...He looked at her and smiled and said, "What do you want for Christmas, little girl?"...(5/7)
Baffled, she held up the catalog and said, "Oh, Santa, I got it already!" ...(6/7)
May you find joy and blessings amid low expectations this Christmas. Others have survived harder holidays than this. Let's allow their spirits to blaze up in all of us this year and take pleasure in what we do have. Happy holidays everyone! (7/7)
