
As I’ve mentioned in earlier posts, my Christmas tree is COVERED in happy memories. Vacations, special childhood ornaments made by my kids, gifts from friends, etc. Each and every ornament is carefully wrapped and tucked away when I take my tree down, and the memories tumble out again the following year as I painstakingly hang them on my tree and relive all those happy times again and again. The Santa pictured above is from an incredible family vacation when my son was only 2 years old. We went to Ocean Isle, NC, with my parents, my in-laws at the time, and my youngest brother, and stayed in the most beautiful beach house owned by my employer. One rather cloudy day, my mother and I took off for a shopping trip, had a GREAT day together, and I purchased this ornament as part of that afternoon. She’s been gone for well over 20 years now, but this Santa ornament serves as a poignant memory of a great day with my mom.
Many of our most cherished holiday keepsakes revolve around friends or family who cannot be with us, either due to death, location or circumstance, and they help to keep our loved ones nearby…if only in spirit.





