The idea is this: A Memorial Ornament Party. What is that, exactly?
It's when a bunch of people who lost a loved one gather at the home of the family of said loved one, each person bringing a Christmas ornament that reminds them of the person lost. Everyonoe explains their choice, maybe tells a story or two to go with it, then takes turns hanging their ornaments on the tree.
When I heard this idea, I immediately knew that it was perfect for our family. Mom loved Christmas so much. Her favorite part was always decorating the tree with my brother and me. This year, I was dreading that part, and considered skipping it entirely. But when I heard about the memorial ornament party, I knew Mom would love it.
So my brother and I gathered a bunch of family and friends to Dad's house, and we had our party. Everyone who attended took it seriously; no one was just humoring me. I think that this activity helped everyone involved to feel closer to Mom.
Here's the finished product:
Of course, ornaments are still on their way via snail mail from relatives who could not make it to the party, so it's not complete quite yet, but it's beautifully gaudy, just like Mom always liked her tree to be.
After we each hung our ornaments, we all put the icicles (tinsel) on, which was Mom's favorite part of decorating the tree every year. I really felt her presence at that moment, surrounded by people who she loved so much, doing something that she loved so much. It was magical.
The next day, we found her beloved JCPenney snow globe collection and displayed those as well. Unfortunately those jerks at JCP discontinued the tradition this year (I'm so upset about the timing. Please sign my petition to get them to bring them back in 2013).
I'm feeling pretty good about the decorations being out! They remind me of Mom.
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| after decorating the tree December 2011 |
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