Christmas Treasures

This Christmas bird hung for years and years on our Grandmother’s Christmas tree.  I don’t know how old it is, but it is treasured.  My aunt gave it to me before she died, and we hung it on our tree and later from a little stand at Christmas time.  This year I'm giving it to Myrna so she can enjoy it for the Christmases to come, and perhaps give it to her daughter, who remembers our Grandmother and her home.

This gives me a lot of pleasure – sharing something precious instead of hoarding it – perhaps more pleasure than Myrna will get from having this.  It’s one of the lessons I have finally  learned – you don’t have to own everything you see – and nothing gives as much enjoyment if it isn’t shared in some way.

It always amazes me, talking with friends and family, what items and occasions they remember fondly from their childhood – very often the simplest, humblest things.  Most of those memories are because something became a tradition – the favorite casserole dish, making cookies, a favorite ornament – it’s the sharing that makes them precious.  Myrna and I have traded other treasures from our past – doubling our enjoyment.

Maybe this is the year you ask your family members what they remember – and find it’s time to pass on those treasures.  Don’t wait until you die – you can enjoy them when you visit – and you will know what will be most enjoyed by each person – not what you think they will like.