Every year as we decorate the tree, there are all sorts of memories with each ornament. The first 2 ornaments are fairly "new" to our tree.It was the year that Betsy was in 1st grade...She had her 1st day of 1st grade dress on so she would have be 6 which would have made Jane 2+. We gave these ornaments to Mom and Dad. They hung on their tree. They loved hanging these two faces on their tree. At first, I wanted to change them every year. My mom said no, she wanted to remember them like they were when they were given to them.
At that time, I didn't really understand. Why not put NEW pictures in? Keep the ornament current?
When we went through all of mom's Christmas stuff, guess what I found? These 2 precious faces and I was excited to move them to our tree, where they have hung for the last several years.
Last year, we got some precious ornaments from Simon and Mazie. This is the one that they gave Steve.
Would I want to update the picture? No, now I understand. I don't want to change the picture. I want to remember them just like this when we got the ornament. I hope that someday, Betsy will look at the ornaments and say...wow...my babies have really changed.
Now that seems funny to me. When I look at the pictures of Betsy and Jane, I see them. I remember them. I know...Betsy is a mother; Jane is married; and yet I can still see them as my babies, just as they were. I could probably tell you what their laugh was like. I can hear Jane's stories. I can still hear Betsy reading. So...
Memories that are precious, the old ones AND the new ones...what a joy that these memories give to us.
On this very cold Sunday night as I sit in the family room and look at the ornaments on our tree with little faces shining in the Christmas lights...these are one of my favorite things...
My sister just reminded me that these were the ornaments that we used to decorate my dad's Christmas tree when he was in the nursing home.
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