very year from 1942 through 1979, except for the years he was overseas in World War II, my father produced a Christmas poem for our family's Christmas card. The poem chronicled some of the major changes in the world, in the condition of black people, and finally in each family member's life. It was a way to share, especially for people who were either distant or out of touch for other reasons, what was going on with our family.

At the time of my father's death, the Christmas card list contained the addresses of over 300 families. My father would send it to the printer by late November. By early December, we would start addressing the envelopes and sending the cards out, usually finishing the week before Christmas.

As we received holiday greetings from friends and family members, my father would take each card and, with adhesive tape and paper clips, hang them near the ceiling in the room with our Christmas tree. They were hung on red, tinseled string in a double, diamond-shaped pattern, with one tip of each diamond touching. As Christmas approached, in line, the hundreds of cards that were received criss crossed the ceiling, until the double-diamond pattern was filled with cards.

Christmas excitement, circa 1960