Christmas was always a magical time at Grandma Polly's. I can remember
walking into the dinning room and seeing the beautiful holiday display
on
the table. Grandma would have a red linen tablecloth with the most
beautiful china. The pattern on the dishes was a soft white with a
black
rose and leaves that were a softer shade of black with silver trim.
Every year after Christmas dinner and the presents were opened, I
would
help Grandma clear the table and wash the china. She would always tell
the
story on how the china was handed down to her from her mother and how
special it was to her. Grandma had two brothers and five sisters and
she
was a twin. She had always admired the china and made comments to her
mother, but never thought that she would be the one to receive this set
of
china. When Grandma was in her thirties, she went to spend Christmas
with
her parents. There was one gift in a huge box and she could not figure
out
what it could possibly be. When she opened the box, she could not
believe
her eyes, the china!
Every Christmas since I was five years old I would tell my grandmother
how
beautiful the dishes were. I would always get a laugh out of her and
she
would tell me the story again. When I turned thirty Grandma stopped
using
the china for the Christmas dinners. For six years, she would have a
large
box under the tree for me. I thought it's the dishes but it never was.
Christmas of 2003 my daughters and I went as we do every year and there
was
no big box, but several of all different sizes. When I started opening
presents there,