Roses in December

Every December I get to relive parts of my life that I have forgotten. I get to hold things in my hand that trigger memories that get lost in all of the day to day drudgery. Every December I get to smell roses.

Today we hung all of the ornaments on the tree. I still love doing that. It was one of the traditions from when I was growing up that I’ll cherish forever. It was such a big deal in our house. Every year my mom would buy a new ornament for my sister and I. It was almost always something that represented what was going on in our lives at the time. I still have mine. Today I hung the red, white, and blue bell that I got in 1976. I hung my soccer player. I hung my skiing Santa. I hung my whole life on the tree.

The girls get so excited now too. I was going to take the day off today to decorate the tree, but there weren’t enough guys working. I was going to call in sick, but my conscience got the best of me. Hannah was sad so we decorated it before I went to work.

We were hanging ornaments and talking about each one. Mine and Staci’s “First Christmas Together” from 1997. Hannah and Hailey’s “Baby’s First Christmas”. Ornaments bought on family vacations, and ornaments given to us by my mom, who still doesn’t miss a year. Our tree is very full. It’s full but it tells a story. A story of lives well lived.

While we were hanging them I saw Hannah and my reflection in an ornament. A few months ago I might not have bothered to pick up my camera, but I have a renewed zest for my PaD so here it is. The best thing that happened to me all day.

“God gave us memories so that we might have roses in December.” -from “Courage” by J.M. Barrie