By Libby Hires, Contributor.

It’s hard to believe that Christmas is finally here and that we are closing the last chapter of 2023. I always feel a bit of sadness at this time of year, and I believe it is because of that sense of knowing that time is going by so fast. There is a song by King and Country (“What Are We Waiting For?”) that says, “Why are we wasting all the time like someone’s making more?”

We get all tied up in pardon the pun, the bows and presents that we forget the PRESENCE of Christmas. So many times, I think of something I want to say to or ask my dad or my grandmother. There are no telephone numbers to Heaven, but I still talk to them anyway. I think they can hear me because sometimes there will be something that comes my way that reminds me of them. The greatest gift they ever gave me was their presence. By giving me their time, I learned so much from them. I learned patience, cooking, laughter is the best medicine, family matters, God is watching & listening, and so much more.

I eat raw vegetables because my dad did. I’m the only child in a family of four girls because that will eat olives because I was Daddy’s Girl…I was “Doll”. I would sit in Daddy’s lap and watch the news, “Andy Griffith”, or read with him. Yes, we ate the raw veggies while watching TV and reading, before it was cool to do that. He had the patience of Job, the twinkle in his eye that sparkled brighter than stars. If I ever did anything wrong, his eyes showed it, too, and I’d be reduced to tears. No spankings needed…it had broken my heart that I had done something wrong that upset my beloved Daddy. It didn’t happen much, though, I was a great kid. Seriously.

My grandmother was amazing. Oh, y’all would have loved her. She had the most wonderful spirit. She loved to laugh and when it wasn’t necessarily an appropriate time to do so, you’d see her cover her mouth, trying to hide her smile…stifling a giggle… and then sometimes her shoulders would even shake trying to hold it all inside. Laughter is the best medicine…and sometimes a Coca Cola or Ginger Ale would help along with that. She, too, had great patience. She taught me a lot about cooking and experimenting with tastes and recipes. She loved to read cookbooks and watch cooking shows. I inherited that trait from her. I grew up with her living with us (until I was beginning the 7th grade) and that was the best thing that could have happened to our family. She was the best present God could have given to us. God knew we needed her. She taught us that God was a forgiving God…and that we should be a forgiving people. Pray and sing all the time. She sang “Blessed Assurance” and other songs while doing work around the house or cooking. It makes life so much better. Oh, and you know what else I learned from Ma Ma? Those crazy fitted sheets? Don’t tear off those product tags! When making up the bed, put the tag on the right-hand corner of the mattress and you’ll put it on every time. You’re welcome.

So, why am I telling you about my dad and grandmother? Because it isn’t what’s under your Christmas tree that matters. It’s those that are AROUND it. It’s those that fill your life 365 days a year. THOSE are the best presents that you will ever have.

And the best present you will ever receive is LIFE. Make sure that you live each day as a blessing to someone. You will be receiving more blessings than you will ever imagine just by being one. The happiness and joy, oh my! Take the time this holiday season to tell someone just how much they mean to you. Write someone a little card or note. Give a call to that friend or relative that you haven’t heard from in ages. It’s time. That’s right, why are you wasting time thinking someone is making more?

Here are recipes from Daddy and Ma Ma. Enjoy!

Ma Ma’s Yummy Fruitcake

(This is the best fruitcake ever…and I’m not a big fan of fruitcake! Maybe I like it

even more because it was handed down to me from my grandmother.)

Yummy Fruit Cake

(Jimmy’s favorite fruit cake) Ingredients 5 cups pecans, chopped 1 3/4 cup sugar 1 pound candied cherries 1 tablespoon vanilla 1 pound candied pineapple 1/2 pound butter 2 cups plain flour 6 eggs 2 teaspoon baking powder shortening to grease pan (or baking spray w/ powder, like Baker’s Joy) Directions Place nuts and fruits in an extra-large bowl or pan. Set aside. Mix dry ingredients and add to nuts and fruit mixture. Melt butter. Cool. Add eggs and beat. Add vanilla to eggs. Add to mixture in large bowl. Grease and flour tube pan. Pour mixture into tube pan. Bake in 300 degree oven for about 1 hour 45 min. Cool in pan. (Note: I like to substitute a Bundt pan for a tube pan and it works well. I also love to use baking spray with powder if using a Bundt pan instead of shortening and flour. It works so much better.)

Coconut Poke Cake

Ingredients 1 (16-ounce) package white cake mix 1 (14-ounce) can cream of coconut 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 1 (16-ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed flavorings: coconut and/or rum flavoring or extract 1 (10-ounce) package flaked coconut Directions Prepare cake according to package directions. Bake in a 9x13 inch pan. Cool almost completely. In a small bowl, combine cream of coconut and condensed milk. Add rum and/or coconut flavoring/extract to taste (a few drops to about 1/4 teaspoon. Poke holes in cake with a fork or skewer. Pour milk mixture over cake. Let cool completely. (I chill it several hours or even overnight). Add a few drops flavoring to whipped cream and whip to distribute flavor. Spread cake with whipped topping. Sprinkle coconut over cake. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. (For any holiday or special occasions, you can dye some of the coconut flakes with appropriate food dye color and sprinkle atop the finished cake. Doing some instead of all makes for a better presentation.)