These are random musings of my life journey, the people, animals, places, and events which have woven, and continue to weave, a tapestry that is me. We all know there is no real destination, only the ongoing experiences which blend together, creating the trail. Each step gives a glimpse of what is to come, without allowing me to see the end result. It is exciting. I have a home base that is mine, that gives me a place to rest. This is it. This is where my heart is, no matter where I journey...................

Monday, December 22, 2008

I Remember A Christmas

I remember a Christmas ....

My first grandchild .... step grandchild, actually, but that didn't matter .... was three. The second grandchild was two. Another was due the following February. They didn't live near us, and I wondered about keeping a relationship with them. Little ones forget so quickly.

I don't know what made me think of it. Right after the holiday I was shopping for those after Christmas specials, and I bought a few ornaments for the tree for next year. I love sales of 50% to 75% off! I noticed that there were some really cute ones for little kids, and I thought I would buy one for each grandchild for next year.

I got home, and after giving it more thought I decided that I was going to start a tradition. I returned to the store and bought several more, one for each year for each child. Back home again, I turned the ornaments over, writing the child's name on it in gold ink. One for each child for each year of his/her little lives. And by buying them at the sale prices, I can buy them much nicer ones that I would if I paid full price.

Since then I've continued this practice, adding the year of the gift along with the child's name. By the time they are grown, they have at least 21 ornaments. And on their 22nd Christmas, they get a tree topper. This way, they have enough ornaments for a "starter" tree. What I hope will be the pièce de résistance of the whole thing is that as the child (now a young adult) will look at this eclectic array of ornaments, look at their names and the year on the bottom of each and remember at least some of those Christmases. I hope, too, that they will remember their ol' Grammy who took the time to pick individual ornaments that fit their personalities or reflect the activities they are in, and know that they came to them with love.

I've now started doing the same for my step-great-grandchildren. The tradition was picked up by at least one step-daughter, so her grandchildren with have 42 ornaments for their first personal trees. I'm really pleased she is doing that. I love to see tradition live on. And I will thus have left a tiny piece of myself for at least a couple generations. That is very reassuring.

9 comments:

  1. what a great tradition. I still have a few of my old gift ornaments and remember them fondly. Each with thier own memory.

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  2. My mom in law does that for the grandchildren also the coolest one that she has gotten so far for my children is a musical note for james cause he plays trumpet. She got sarah a pooh bear that year cause that is what sarah is or was into.

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  3. What a wonderful, wonderful tradition!!

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  4. MJ, anything that hold onto tradition is a good thing, I think. I love the ones that were my mom's or gramma's.

    Red, good for your mom! It's a good tradition.

    Cheryl, keep it in mind for your "gramma days"!!!

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  5. Every year, I always bought my girls keepsake ornaments. Even the years when money was VERY tight. And even when my former mother-in-law told me it was unnecessary. Actually, I still get them their ornaments and now also for the grands. Oldest Daughter has started the tradition of buying her children a keepsake ornament every year.

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  6. Smart thinking to write the year down too. Though my sister-in-law gave our boys the gift of an ornament each year going way back when, she didn't write the year down and neither did my wife or I. Now we sometimes wonder "what year did we get this ornament?"

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  7. Daisy, I'm glad you and your daughter have the tradition. It will mean much to the babies. :)

    Dave, I'm glad I thought of it, too. It helps to make the memory more real, I think. I struggle with ornaments passed down from my parents and in-laws that I one time knew whose was whose, but I no longer recall from whose house they came. I've thought a tiny initial in an inconspicuous area would resolve that question. But who thought of it at the time?

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  8. I think that is just wonderful!

    I have ornaments that were given to me and they are so very special. I love taking them out and remembering who gave them to me and when...

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If you have something to say about it, just stick out your thumb, and I'll slow down so you can hop aboard! But hang on, 'cause I'm movin' on down the road!!! No time to waste!!!