One Special Ornament!

While I understand that Christmas is over and the trees and lights are down, I still wanted to post about this one special ornament that you see to the left. This tarnished santa ornament has held it's place somewhere on my grandparents Christmas tree for over 61 years. That's right, 61 years!!! I had never really noticed the ornament on the tree before. This year while having Christmas at my grandparents it was the only ornament on the tree(except for the paper angel that showed up later from Joshua).


One of the days that we were there I was looking at it and wondering why it was the only one on the tree. My grandmother must have noticed me looking at it so intently, because she asked me if I knew the story behind the santa ornament. I told her "no!" She began to tell me how her and my grandfather had the santa ornament their first year being married and how it was the first ornament that they hung on their first tree together. Every year they place the santa ornament on the tree. Folks, that means that my grandparents have been married over 61 years! How marvelous is that! You do not hear of that very much these days. Her telling me that story made me smile and think about the tradition they set just as a couple without kids and how the tradition continued to be carried on through Christmas after Christmas with 5 kids and still continues with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I had never heard that story nor had I really noticed that ornament before.

On this great big tree filled with twinkling lights and one paper angel(added by Joshua) there is one tarnished little santa ornament that hangs and twirls throughout the month of December.

On the ride home from their house it got me thinking about the ornaments on our tree. I recalled an ornament that was given to Dan and I our first Christmas together by my brother and sister in law. It is 2 bears hugging and the writing on the bottom says "Our 1st Christmas Together". We have hung that same ornament for almost 4 years. I guess in a way we have started our own tradition with our own ornament. The most important thing is that my grandparents have been married for over 61 yrs and have come across many trials and tribulations over these years and they never lost faith in their marriage. I hope Dan and I can one day say that our ornament has hung on our tree for over 61 years!

To my family: Have any of you ever heard this Story told?! It was crazy to me how this story has never come up in conversation at Christmas. I think it is one of the most precious stories I have ever heard! What a great example!!!