Advent Calendar- Christmas Tree Ornaments

When Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on the Gulf Coast, I packed many of my precious belongings into my car. One of the boxes that I packed was the Christmas tree ornaments. My husband thought I was crazy. "Why the ornaments?" he asked.  I told him that each and everyone of them meant something special to me and I could not bear to part with them given the choice. So they went and it was a good thing because a pine tree came crashing down just where they were stored.

Among my ornaments is a little pink glass pine cone with white paint on the edges like snow. It was always a favorite of mine growing up because it belonged to my great grandmother. When I got married my mother gave me all of my childhood ornaments and allowed me to choose one of hers, this is the one I chose. It is always the first to be hung upon the tree near the very top.

Then there is an ornament that I made in kindergarten in 1974. It is now a dull red and most of the glitter has flaked off, but it is still special to me. Mostly because for fifteen years my mother faithfully hung this ornament upon her own tree as though it were one of the most beautiful among all her ornaments.

The old ornaments from my own childhood that hang upon my tree all hold a special place in my heart. They are old friends of mine. I spent many hours gazing at them throughout my life. Some were bought, but many were made by the hands of my relatives. They are heirlooms that I eagerly unwrap each year to display. Hopefully one day they will be handed down and cherished with the same love and care that I have had for them.










This is the third blog in the series by GeneaBloggers Advent Calendar of Christmas Memories 2012.