Tell her a story, about traditions and memories and perhaps the time it snowed on Christmas Day.
Tell her a story of lights and snowflakes and magic - good times and bad times, too. There's a lot of sorrow and drama in people's lives no matter the season.
My mother loved Christmas and I enjoy putting out decorations she gave me. She grew up on farms during the Depression and reluctantly told us tales of very lean holiday times. Knowing her history makes me appreciate my childhood Christmases that much more. I can pass on the stories.
Each ornament has a little story, whether it is a souvenir from a trip, or from a fun shopping excursion with friends. My husband treats me to an ornament each year - some are pretty, some are humorous - either way it's a tale. I enjoy small picture frame ornaments that capture a moment. And the best ornament of all is the hand decorated toilet paper roll. I think it was supposed to be a toy soldier and Kevin made it in kindergarten or first grade. He groans when he see it, but it's a part of December history and we'll tell her the story.
I hope you have grand stories to pass on too. First let's heat some hot chocolate.
I certainly can relate to tales of Christmas ornaments. when I was little we just had the (now called vintage) glass ornaments that I was afraid to handle for fear I would break them and slash my fingers, the consequence that I was warned about so many times. When I started having children, I started buying a Christmas ornament for them every year that reflected something special about the year past. Like you said, they all had a story. The memories that are contained in them are powerful. I originally had intended for them to take them when they were married and use them to decorate their own trees. While they took some of them, they also left many at home because they wanted to be represented on our "Family" Christmas Tree. I think it's their way of saying, "We have our own home and are starting our own traditions, but we still want contact with our original family tree. It makes the memories that much sweeter.
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