Never Say Never

Author: 
Renae Brabham
Share

Every year when she was growing up, my oldest daughter would hide my Elvis Christmas CD. It wasn't because she didn't like that hunka hunka burning love—it was the song "Blue Christmas" that she hated. 

 
So each Christmas season since Don and I moved here from NC, I have been able to go straight to my Elvis Christmas CD without having to look around. I told my daughter that it was kind of sad, that I felt the need to hide it and find it myself to keep up the tradition. She renewed her vow to never listen to Elvis' "Blue Christmas" again—I told her that she would come to appreciate the song as she got older. She replied that there were a couple of things she would NEVER do, one was to listen to "Blue Christmas" ever again and the other was to never wear a black one-piece bathing suit.
 
I decorated the house for Christmas early one year in anticipation of my family coming to visit. I was playing my Elvis CD while decorating the tree and had a thought... I called my daughter a week before they came and told her to bring hats, scarves, and coats. She was curious, but I told her to just do it, that she would love the idea. I texted my grandbabies and kept reminding them to bring their winter apparel. 
 
A day before they came, I filled my daughter in that we would be taking Christmas pics on Isle of Palms. Okay, she was game. Now for Part B. When my grandbabies got here, I clued them in. "Okay, you guys know how much your mama hates that Elvis "Blue Christmas" song, right?" They both nodded, laughing. "Well, here's the plan. We are going to take staged tacky Christmas pictures on the beach. Alana, we are going to tell your parents that we have to tie them up in Christmas lights so that it looks like you guys did it in order to get under the Christmas tree and unwrap your presents. Abby, your job is to put the iPod earbuds in her ears after she's all tied up and start playing 'Blue Christmas.'" 
 
The pictures tell the rest of the story. Never say never. 
 
 
 
Merry Christmas Charleston Grit and all of the wonderful followers!