A 'Special Lady '

Hi y'all ! ( ok....ok...lol....a few of ya! )

Well, it's that time of the year again;Christmas and New Years ! As I was growing up it apparently wasn't such a 'big deal'to me despite others making it so around me. Being Jewish, my family celebrated Chunukah ( not 'HON U KA', phonetically spoken, but said with more of a 'phlemy beginning' as if one is clearing a throat and the first syllable is said as a 'short U" not an 'O' and the second 'U' as a 'long U'. )Not that I wanted to give anyone a lessen on how to speak a 'foreign tongue', but this always 'irked' me some as so many would 'butcher' the 'yiddish' language'!(dialect, actually )
Ok, now that this is 'cleared up' and 'out of the way', let me continue with what I was saying......
Growing up as the only male child in a Jewish (orthodox to conservative/reformed) home, Chunukah was the main important holiday to exchange the wonderful 'gifts'and personal pleasantries( mostly toys and items that your 'folks' didn't purchase for you )that made this seasonal time so special other than one's birthday. According to 'tradition' and 'history' this period would last for 8 glorious days with the practice of 'exchanging' or 'giving' of gifts. How 'wonderful'...huh ?..lol :)
Well, ya....who wouldn't want that ?..lol ..hmmmm....I surely enjoyed it, but what I remember the most from it is probably what most wouldn't ! Sure, the family and friends coming over to our home or 'us' traveling to a families home to 'celebrate' such festive times was super, but I guess at that time being young and all, I didn't realize how one person would affect my life and influence me to this very day with the 'generosity' and 'caring' that such a 'holiday' afforded 'someone' to be so influencial that more than likely wouldn't have been. I, at the time thought that everyone had such a person like this in their lives;apparently not. The one that always gave you the very expensive, overly exhorbitant and overly large 'boxed' gift. No it wasn't 'Santa' or the 'Chunukah Fairy' but usually a very special person that thinks you are a 'special person' usually moreso than what your immediate family thought you were ! I would only call this person 'Aunt or Aunty' despite the fact in blood relations she was only a 2nd cousin.(mother's 1st)
Yes, I'm talking about my 'AUNT BEBE'!( pronuounced 'BEE BEE'as in 'B''B') She's the one that gave me the 'chemistry sets', the 'telescopes', the 'microscopes', the 'steel erector sets'and the 'electronics kits' and so,so much more! She actually,one can say, gave me my 'career and profession'! (one of them, anyhow) If it wasn't for her 'giving ways', I probably wouldnl't have been so 'good' with 'electronics' and the 'sciences' in general. I have no doubts that my 'logical thinking process' was 'honed' by her timely and challenging gifts. Guess, I owe her a lot !
So, as I grew thru life and made a life of my own with children, I tried to 'influence' for the 'good' for 'their'(children's) choices to be made within their 'cycle of living'. Unfortunately, as time went on and living in 'our society' became more difficult just to 'survive', the practice of 'giving' and 'getting' those 'unimaginable' gifts diminished greatly, as a general practice.
Now that my kids have kids and they practice a more 'Universally Thinking Process' regarding Chunukah, Christmas, and whatever else; I sorta wish that it could be 'I' that is that 'Aunt/Uncle or Grandpa' that will form a young person's career. (grandkids)
Perhaps, one day....I will ! So, this time of the year is 'special' to me, but not as one expects and it's that 'New Year' to make that 'effort' come to pass that one has so unselfishly 'given'in 'toy' that might just make a 'life'!
Boy, has time changed ! Things are so much not as they were, despite the efforts of elders of our society (like me ) constantly reminding us of 'how things were'!

Till next time America..
Smile and be Smiled Upon...
Happy Chunukah, Merry Christmas, and a Better New Year....

SMUGS,
Steve