Buddy reminiscences his Christmas celebration with his older cousins when he was a kid. Buddy was close to one of the cousins who used to call him Buddy. He used to live with his cousins and relatives in an old house in a small town. During the Christmas season, Buddy would share the joy of baking fruitcakes with his favorite cousin, Sook. Baking was an enjoyable process for them as they would collect fallen pecans and buy whiskey from Mr. Jones.
The last Christmas with Sook was especially memorable since it was the first time he had tasted whiskey. On the day before Christmas, Buddy accompanied his cousin to select a suitable tree. They decorated the tree with homemade decorations and then secretly wrapped the kites that they made for each other as a gift.
During the Christmas season, Buddy and his cousin would wake early and fly their kites after opening their gifts. Buddy was unaware that it would be his last Christmas with Sook. Even though Buddy didn't want to leave Alabama, his relatives sent him to a military school. Sook was left alone with her dong Queenie, but she would still bake fruit cakes on Christmas and send some to Buddy. The military school experience was a nightmare for Buddy, and he longed for the time he spent with Sook and Queenie at home.
A Christmas Memory is a memoir of the writer, and through the story, he describes the importance of the memories of holidays in someone's life. Buddy is the protagonist of the story, who spends his childhood with his old cousin Sook and the time he spends with her, becomes memorable for Buddy.
The imagery in the story allows readers to experience the excitement and happiness of Buddy and Sook when they celebrate Christmas and bake cakes. Sook is a childlike woman and adores Buddy. Therefore, both learn to care for each other deeply. The story ends with Buddy learning of the death of Sook. Then Buddy looks up at the sky and finds a pair of kites that symbolize their friendship.
