Neighborhood Christmas Tradition
Mosley Truck at Christmas
Whenever my family and I turned onto our road at Christmas, our first sight was the decorated truck with a Christmas tree in the driveway of the first house in our neighborhood. There was something magical about the scene, as we all felt an inner warmth of love that we could not explain.
It re-centered us from stress to inner love and appreciation of this "Christmas card" our neighbors offered our street. Then, when we stopped seeing it at the holidays, we missed it. We even bought plates and glasses with the lighted Christmas tree on a truck, but it wasn't the same.
After several years, we recently received our neighbor's explanation to our neighborhood
Guest Writer:
A note to our neighborhood from Kent Mosley
Subject: Laurie Mosley from Kent Mosley
Laurie
"My wife Laurie passed away on May 6th. She had been battling an illness for a long time. Although her pain and worries are over, I miss her. After we had lived here on the corner together for our twenty-five years of marriage, I thought she deserved to be mentioned in the history of our street.
If anyone remembers the old blue truck we decorated in the front yard at Christmas time, it was her idea. I know if you lived here in those days, twenty-five years ago or so, you will remember. She went with me to cut down the first fourteen-foot cedar tree. She was in charge of decorating, ensuring the wheel light spun in the right direction, and that all the truck's lights were in the right place. She made sure the lights and Christmas balls were hung just right on the tree.
So, this is just a note "to say a thank you and prayer for Laurie Mosley" if you ever enjoyed the "ole blue," all decorated in a Dr. Suess-style Christmas Celebration. Our first year was definitely the best. After a few more years of setting up, I just got a little old to cut down a fourteen-foot cedar tree on my own, and there were fewer and fewer places to find one nearby. So, I apologize for letting that slip away, as memories do. But let it be known Laurie was the artist, the inspiration, the taskmaster until it was done right."
Kent & Laurie. NW corner of our neighborhood.
I will never forget how a grieving husband honors his wife and our neighborhood by sharing this extraordinary Christmas story with us, and we now share it with you.
Joanna joannaseibert.com