What is your favorite holiday memory?

I posted the Friday Favorites early so I could sleep in tomorrow... enjoy.

My favorite Christmas memory happened about 20 years ago. I was still in college, hadn't married yet and the whole world was open to me.

I was on break from school so it was about a week before Christmas. All of the shopping had been done and all of the gifts were already wrapped and under the tree (except for the ones mom and dad always kept in reserve to fill out the tree before we woke up).

I decided to go carolling with our church choir one evening. At one point, I took notice of something one of the other singers was wearing. I thought how nice it would be to have something like that. I didn't tell anyone because I thought it wasn't worth the time to have someone brave the crowds at the mall. Besides, I wasn't sure I could explain my desire to own this particular item. And so, the thought came and went with me as the only witness to its existence.

Christmas morning came quickly and we all sat around the tree opening gifts. Some of them had been requested, some hadn't, but all were appreciated. I was handed a gift from my sister. As I undid the paper, I revealed a plaid, red and blue, acrylic scarf. I have received may a gift since then but none are so cherished.

Shirts, slacks, toys and blinking black boxes have all come and gone but I still have that scarf. It keeps my neck warm on windy winter days and each time I wrap it around me, I think of the Christmas morning when I received a special gift that the sender had not known would be so wonderful when she chose it.