| Sources |
- [S106] The Mountain Press, 13 Dec 2010.
Holidays all about birthdays
by ODIS CHAMBERS
On his own birthday, 10-year-old Derek Chambers holds his new baby brother Jesse in 1983, two days after the child was born on Christmas Day.
It was Saturday, Dec. 24, 1983 (Christmas Eve) as my pregnant wife and two children and I sat by the fireplace in the new addition to our home, reading about the birth of Christ from the Gospel of St. Luke, which was, and is today, our tradition.
In the middle of our devotions the lights flickered and we then lost our electrical service. It was so cold. I had yet to install a heating system in the new addition, and the fireplace was not doing the job of warming our home. As we finished the devotions by candlelight, I decided to open one gift (strictly against our policy) before Christmas.
The gift was a kerosene heater, without directions. We fired it up and decided to go to bed and hope Santa could somehow get down the chimney with a roaring fire, and leave a gift or two.
Early the next morning, my wife and I were awakened by two excited children telling us that Santa had somehow made it down the chimney to deliver gifts and we must get up. Thanks to the Sevier County Electric System, we now had electricity and the Christmas tree lights were on.
After we opened gifts and took pictures, we turned on the TV and checked the weather forecast. We learned that this was the coldest Christmas ever on record. The thermometer outside read 2 degrees above 0. The kerosene heater by now was doing a marvelous job and all was cozy.
After opening presents and much picture taking, it was time to get ready for church — it was Sunday, Christmas Day, and we were celebrating the birth of Christ. My pregnant wife decided to rest for a few minutes on the couch before getting ready for church. To everyone’s surprise she suddenly jumped up and headed to the bathroom, telling me that we would spend Christmas Day at the hospital.
Her water had broke and we were about to have an addition to the family.
I decided to warm up the car. Can you imagine my alarm when I looked at the fuel gauge that was on empty. Nowhere would I be able to buy gas on Christmas morning. I then thought about a gas station about a mile from our house, operated by John Green, who lived behind the store. Maybe I could get him to turn on the gas pump and let me fill up in this emergency.
When I arrived at John’s store, there he sat, with the open sign on and the gas pumps on. After filling up with gas I went in to pay. I thanked John for being open, and told him my wife was in labor. His comment was “Get out of here. You can pay me later. Get your wife to the hospital now!”
On the way, my wife suggested that we have a name for a girl. I had already decided this was to be a boy. We refused an ultrasound tell us the gender.
UT Hospital had the nerve to put my wife in a labor room that was pink. When I complained, the nurse on duty told me to calm down. Even though this was my fifth child I had never been allowed in the labor or delivery rooms before.
On Christmas Day 1983 our youngest child, Jesse, was born. The coldest Christmas on record, but after much adversity and with much love, we were blessed with a Christmas baby. My favorite photograph is my 10-year-old son (born on Dec. 27, 1973) holding his 2-day-old brother on his own 10th birthday in front of our Christmas tree.
Christmas 1983 is my most treasured memory.
When Jesse started school five years later the teacher had certain questions she felt all children starting school should know. Asked his birthdate, my son replied “Christmas.” The teacher marked that question incorrect. The correct response should have been Dec. 25, I guess, but doesn’t everybody know Christmas always fall on Dec. 25?
Through the years we have always celebrated Christmas and birthdays, with birthday cake, ice cream and birthday cards. Oh yes, and birthday gifts. After all, Christmas is about birthdays, isn’t it? My wife decorates our home to the maximum every Christmas. Last year we counted 13 or 14 Nativity Scenes inside our home.
Christmas is definitely about birthdays at our house.
|
Search | Advanced Search
1983 - (40 years)
: Address
: Location
: City/Town
: County/Shire
: State/Province
: Country
: Not Set
= Link to Google Maps