Mom
December was one of the best months of the year growing up in Hollywood. My dad was an alcoholic and had dozens of jobs he couldn’t keep and so we struggled financially and emotionally. My mom worked at the local Sears Roebuck and company (as it was then named) to keep the family afloat. And she made the meals and tried to support her three sons in any way she could. Somehow around Christmas time we would somehow get a fresh tree and decorate it. Gladys (mom), we also lovingly called her happy butt, and she loved it, would make Christmas Stollen. It is a homemade bread, full of raisins, almonds and Citron, topped with powdered sugar. We would then have the huge turkey dinner with the gravy, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and of course pumpkin pie.
It was also the time of year when I would get clothes and shoes and things for school. Which I appreciated so much. Then somehow on Christmas morning there would be lots of presents under the tree. We listened to Christmas music on the radio and in later years watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “White Christmas”. Now you can see how I came to love this time of the year. It was Gladys Naomi Bruck who was the anchor of sanity and bringer of joy that made it happen for the youngest of three boys. As the years went by, my mom and I were the closest to each other in heart and deed.
So now, Lou Ann and I give a lot of time and energy to the celebration of the season. We both love giving gifts and watching the corny, but lovable films that make us cry and remember our past. We continue to create new loving memories of this special time of year. I wish for you all to have this kind of love and caring that I got from my mother. My mom helped me make it through some very difficult times and showed me how to be a compassionate caring person. I miss her each Christmas and I celebrate her holiday spirit which shone throughout the year! From my holiday heart to yours, Thomas