Curtis' tree

About a month ago I got together with a couple other Gold Star Mothers.  Gwen and Jill are two of the strongest women I know, their faith and insights amaze me.  Among the many things we talked about, decorating for the holidays came up.  How do you remain cheerful and normal when you aren't feeling that way?  Jill had gotten though the first holiday by purchasing all new decorations.  Truthfully, I'm too cheap to go that route.  Gwen got hung up on the stockings, so she bought a camo stocking for her son and hung that instead.  I have made counted cross stitch stockings for my family, and after Curtis had married Katie last year, I made one for her too.  I am not a sewer, and the stocking was not put together on time to hang with the rest last year.  I feel the need to have them all hang as a unit for at least one year.  So, what to do? 

The idea struck me as I was getting out my tree and hanging my ornaments filled with memories.  Since I have accumulated so many ornaments over the years, last year I seperated the kids' ornaments and was going to give them this year as a gift.  I found a small pre-lit tree that now holds Curtis' ornaments plus one last new one from me.  I love it.  From Baby's first Christmas, through the hockey years, to the last proclaiming "Every life leaves something beautiful", I feel it represents him well.