by John Syratt It had been years since we celebrated Christmas with my parents and the rest of our large clan in Newmarket, ON, but last year we did manage to get there. We didn’t know it would be our final Christmas with Dad – he passed away unexpectedly three months later. Last Christmas was a rich time with great memories of playing duets on the piano, singing carols, sharing stories, enjoying games and watching the little ones dance. Those few days together were a real treasure I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.
When I think about facing this season without the opportunity to call Dad, (Mom’s coming west this Christmas), memories of Christmases past come flooding back. As a post-war child in England, I was fascinated with toy guns, (note to any concerned behavioral scientists: it was okay). At the age of six I received a toy pistol that actually shot little yellow bullets. The most vivid memory I have of this toy is watching my dad play with it – ducking behind furniture and firing it at all of us kids. Mom and Dad must have wondered about all my Christmastime gun requests, because a few years after immigrating to Canada in 1957, I became fascinated with the U.S. Civil War and wanted toy guns from that era. My parents had to feed and clothe seven children but still managed, amazingly well, to make our Christmases special. That year I received a Civil War toy gun set complete with rifle and pistol.When I was a young teen the toy gun request was replaced with a request for a guitar.	Luger toy pistol - photo courtesy www.timepassagesnostalgia.com
One of the most memorable gifts I received was a handcrafted wooden fort for my plastic cowboys, soldiers, etc. My dad had painstakingly built it with double-hinged doors and exterior walls to match the look of a 19th Century log fort. Over the years, it became the site of many attacks and victories. This will be our first Christmas without Dad, but I’m thankful for the memories of all the special Christmases our family has shared. May God bless you and your family this Christmas and remember, though we enjoy all the wonderful pieces of history, let the meaning of Christmas be your real treasure. Harry & Joan Syratt at Christmas 2009. One of the last photos of John’s dad.