Our Christmas Stockings
By María Bertha Caliendo

It’s November and almost time to set out the Christmas Tree and my favorite Christmas stockings.

Each year I hang up the Christmas stockings that Sandra, a dear coworker, handmade for my family. 

Back then, in 1980, we were six in the family.  Sandra personalized each stocking  with our names.  She chose red and white lace for the girls’ stockings and green for the guys.  I think this was so special because Sandra made them for us with lots of love and that is the best gift you can ever receive.  We did not know it then, but a tradition had begun!

During the years since then, our family has grown.  With each new addition to the family, we’ve added another stocking to the original six.  It has not been easy to find stockings to match them.   We have been able to find similar plaid fabric for the most part.  One stocking is decidedly different!  We ran out of space to hang them, so now the stockings are hung on two walls.  My husband Ralph put up a board with hooks to accommodate them all.  It’s not Christmas without the stockings in their place.  This season, we are blessed to have twenty stockings to hang for Santa to fill with surprises.

Each year we carefully pack them away.  I hope to be able to preserve them for many years for my children and grandchildren.