A Personal Christmas Memory

The ‘A Christmas Story’ marathon is on again this year on TBS. Every time I see A Christmas Story is on, I have to make sure I catch the part where Ralphie’s Dad gives him the Red Ryder Rifle. That part gets me every time. It reminds me of one of my favorite Christmas memories.

I once had a Christmas present just like Ralphie in A Christmas Story. It was a football.

I know that doesn’t sound like a big thing, but when I was 11, in my neighborhood, it was huge. I was into Baseball and Football heavily back then and to not have my own football was horrible.

We weren’t well off then. Actually we were very poor. My Dad was only a couple of years from being dead (booze) and my Mom was essentially trying to make it on her own with 4 kids. It had to suck for her.

Anyway, no matter who asked me that year, all I ever said I wanted for Christmas was my own football. Nothing else ever came out of my mouth. Just a football.

Looking back, I believe I would have been just fine if I had gotten just a football. I didn’t even think about anything else. I remember every night checking out all the loot beneath the tree, feeling up all the stuff, trying to find the one true object of my desire. Never did it show. As Christmas got closer and closer I got more and more anxious. I just knew I had to get one. I was just like Ralphie, stressing out over this one thing in all the world that would make me happy.

Well, on Christmas morning, as we ripped open all the presents, my spirits got lower and lower. After all was said and done, I had no football. I was so bummed. My Dad asked me if I got everything I wanted. I never saw the childlike gleam in his eye as I glumly answered “Almost.” I didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but I was very sad.

Then my Dad started looking toward the small couch. He was exaggerating his movements so I would notice him looking. After a few minutes I asked him what he was doing and he said, “Hmm, I think someone missed one. Isn’t that a present still wrapped up?” I looked but, of course, I saw nothing. He kept egging me on until I went and found a package shoved behind the couch. And it had my name on it! I couldn’t stand the suspense and began ripping the paper like a mad person. And there it was, my very own genuine, official league football! It was so awesome I could have cried. The best part was the look on my Dad’s face. He was always just one small step from still being a kid. Especially at Christmas.

He even decided we should go outside and break it in together, right away. That year was a cold one. I remember being outside with my Dad and the greatest gift I’d ever received, freezing to death, but loving every second. We couldn’t take it too long, maybe 15 minutes or so, but that football had been broken in just right. My Dad and I freezing together for that short period of time is one of the fondest memories I have of him.

Every time I see the scene where Ralphie’s Dad gets so excited seeing Ralphie unwrapping the Daisy Red Ryder, I think of my Dad. I find it ironic that a movie scene is so much like one of my fondest personal memories. But I do enjoy reliving it over and over again.