With Christmas eve just one month away I wanted to share a funny Christmas memory when I was a kid.

Growing up the youngest of seven children, I was the last one in the family to take the time to leave cookies and milk out for Santa. One Christmas eve I did just that and then hurried off to bed so Santa could make his much anticipated trip down our chimney later in the evening. 

A few hours later I woke up and had to make a trip to the bathroom so down the stairs from my bedroom I went to the bathroom. As I glanced towards the living room I was horrified to see my dad eating the cookies and drinking the milk!!!

What are you doing I cried, those are for Santa!!! My dad apologized profusely as my mom scolded him for scarfing down Santa's snack. I was afraid if Santa didn't get his goodies there'd be nothing under the tree for me on Christmas morning. 

Before I went back to bed we made sure more cookies and milk were left out for Santa and my mom made it very clear to my dad that they were not to be touched.

The next morning I awoke to find a new toy race track under the tree for me from Saint Nick and a thank you note for the cookies and milk. If nature hadn't called on me that night and gotten me out of bed...who knows if Santa would have gotten his snack and if I would have got that race track.  

It's a memory I often think of at Christmas and it always brings a smile and sometimes a tear to my eye now that both my parents are gone.

2020 has been a challenging year for us all but if you can... be sure to make some memories this Christmas.

(Ken Audette)