The ornaments on my Christmas tree
tell the story of my life.
Fisherman for Mamaw hangs
at the top,
she’s gone now, but
that man smiles like she did
when she saw me opening my gifts.
Red hope, an ornament for losing her
and remembering her a year later
when another Christmas came around.
I cried as they handed it to me.
It’s hope that keeps me remembering
I’ll see her again.
My Papaw’s turtle dove,
symbol for
love
and faith that we’ll meet again.
Mom and Dad have the other,
a matching set.
The snowflake from a student,
who couldn’t see the imprint she
left on my soul.
First married Christmas,
an ornament that every southern couple
must have to prove they’re married and
Christian.
We have two. Maybe even
three.
Blinking snowmen from Mom,
her favorite as she keeps collecting and passing them on
as a symbol that she’s here,
even if not in our home every Christmas.
Acorns, reindeer, and little reminders
from the women who showed me Christmas
cheer is strongly rooted
in evergreen.
Brandie Hurst is a Special Education Teacher in Knoxville, TN. She has a Bachelor of Art in English and Psychology from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and a Masters of Art in Teaching from Tusculum University. In her spare time, she enjoys writing, photography, reading, and spending time with her husband, Michael, and Boston Terrier, JoJo.
Photo Source: Brandie Hurst