Dear Friends.....<br><br>
Christmas time for most of us is our favorite time of year but for many it
becomes a very sad and difficult time to struggle thru after you have lost a
loved one. I know this may not have much to do with quilting but Please read what I have to share with you so that you may find
your Christmas spirit again. Perhaps you have not lost a loved one...Well
then maybe you can share this with some one that has and make a big
difference in their holiday.<br><br>

I lost my Dad about 20 yrs ago and found that Christmas had a whole
different meaning now. Instead of the the warm holiday spirit that my family
always enjoyed with a great passion it was replaced with such a huge sadness
and painful emptiness that was unbearable and seemed to grow worse when each
holiday rolled around.<br><br>

I began what I call my Christmas tradition that has helped me
find my Christmas spirit and with each year it has grown and once again I am
able to enjoy the holidays. It all began a few years after I lost my
Dad......I still had to go thru the motions of Christmas because I had two
little girls and so tried very hard to hide my pain. I used to love
Christmas but now had grown to hate this time of year. I had to shop for
Christmas gifts for the children but avoided the Christmas department with
all the decorations and such like they were selling the plague! And then
they would play that Christmas music thru out the store that was sure to
have me standing in the middle of Walmart crying my eyes out. Sound
familiar, or perhaps It's just me.<br><br>

It is kind of hard to buy wrapping paper with out entering the
dreaded Christmas department so I intended to make this quick. As I made my
way back down the aisle with paper in hand a little gold trumpet caught my
eye, not that I was looking for anything but it kind of jumped out at me and
said, DAD! My father was a musician and among the many intstruments he
played the trumpet was what he had played since he was a young boy. Tears
welled up in my eyes and felt the urge to just flee out of the store but
instead I picked up the little trumpet and wept in the middle of Walmart yet
again.<br><br>

I bought the ornament and hung it on my tree that year. I still
had many episodes of tears thru out that holiday but each time I looked at
Dad's trumpet hanging on the tree I felt as though in a way he was with me
that year. The little gold trumpet is a tribute to his memory and began the
healing of my Christmas spirit. I have since each year bought an ornament or
some sort of decoration in memory of my Dad. I can't tell you how much that
has helped me and brings a warm and happy feeling to my heart each year. I
am doing something with that grief and have found a way to still include my
Dad's memory in my holiday celebration! He would not have wanted me to let
my holiday spirit die with him.<br><br>

I since have lost my Mother as well and each year I buy an angel
in memory of her. Many others have adopted my tradition the past couple
years and found that this has helped them as well and with each year their
hearts and Christmas spirit heals a little more with each holiday. I now
have what I call my tribute tree. It is a little not quite 3 ft artificial
tree that I sit on the end of my dining room table that sits in front of the
window. It takes me about 3 hours to decorate it carefully each year with the many
ornaments I have collected for Dad, Mom and a few other loved ones. I even found some little guitars last year for
my uncle Bob. It does
not make me sad but is decorated with love and great memories of each person
and pet. Memories of great Christmas's of years ago. <br><br>

Yes....I even have ornaments in memory of my horse Cherokee and
"Gumpy" my cat. Hey, what ever helps us thru a difficult time, I say, do it!
Our pets become as family members and is painful to lose as well. Gumpy had
a favorite green bulb he would steal off the tree. He is no longer with us
but his favorite bulb is still hung on the tree inspite of all the scratches
on it. I wrote his name with Elmers Glue on the bulb and sprinkled glitter
on it so it now bares his name.<br><br>

I know that you are probably thinking nothing could help the
dreadful pain you are feeling with each day as the holidays approach but
believe me you would be surprised how a tiny symbol of your love and memory
of your loved one will give you just the little shove you need to begin to
heal. My Aunt Mary loved Cardinals so my cousin Judy buys something with
cardinals each Christmas. Think of something that reminds you of that person
and go buy that ornament today. I know that I can not be the only person
that has stood in a department store during the holidays with tears in her
eyes. You are not alone!<br><br>

Share this post with anyone you like. My hope is that my
tradition will help others this holiday. If you would like to contact me
about my tradition please PM me HUGS Corry Geissinger

You have truly touched my heart this morning. Thank you for sharing.

Thank you - I like your tradition - and I can see how it would help one "get through"

what a wonderful way to turn sadness into happy memories - thanks for sharing.

I have ornaments I bought in my dad's memory too, they do help. (((hugs)))

thank you so much for sharing your tradition. Each year i looked first thing for a gingerbread ornament for my sister, she passed away 2 years ago and i have avoided ornaments since then, i think this year i will go buy a gingerbread one for her and put it on my tree. thank you.

I have shared this with a few of my groups over the years a few times hoping to help others. I haven't sent it in a few years but felt the need to share it this year. There must be some that need to hear this. I sure hope it helps others. I am real glad it has helped you. Share this with anyone you feel needs this...

What a beautiful tradition :D:D:D

That is really awesome! I to have a very hard time with the Christmas spirit, I lost my mom right at Christmas and it just has never been the same for me even though it has been many years now. Thank you for the inspiration to try and change that.

Corry, what a beautiful post! Oh my gosh, I hardly know what to say. I am sooooo glad you found some way to help the grief and sadness of losing your loved ones.
I have photo ornaments of many of our beloved pets who are gone and it makes us happy to see the little faces each year. They brought us so much joy.

Thanks Sue, there are alot of people that have a hard time enjoying the holidays because grief is more intense during this time. Grief often robs us of our good memories if we let it but it is really hard to find our way beyond the grief during the holidays. My Dad would not have wanted that as he loved Christmas so I have always hung onto that thought...it has helped. I enjoy Christmas again and include his memory with a new ornament. Something to do with music as he was a musician. That was why I bought the trumpet.

What a fantastic tradition and thanks so much for sharing. I'm sure that it will help at least one person at this rough time of year, even if I know of nobody right now, who's to say that I won't know someone next year, so I'm keeping your post on my computer. Thanks for helping someone make it through the holidays.

This is just so thoughful and is so simple. Instead of focussing on the grief, you are really saying thank-you for their life and the joy they brought to you and your family. What a wonderful way to acknowlege them although they aren't physically present this year. I'm sure that this idea will help many people. Blessings to you and yours and thanks for sharing.

polar bears are our reminder of my dear neice who died 4 years ago. bought everyone a polar bear ornament the first thanksgining she was not with us. I even search fr polar bear wrapping paper to wrap gifts for the kids. In addition we have an angel candle holder which we light every year in memory of our loved ones and we always remark how they fill our hearts with love forever. :cry:

As I've said before, my Dad died on Christmas morning. I have two blown glass feathers from my folks 'angel wings' that hang on my tree every year!! I have many things from their home in my home..I sleep in their bed! I have coffee everyday at their kitchen table. I speak to them on a regular basis..no, they don't speak back, but I feel their spirit in my life. They left me well prepared and strong. Of course, I miss them, shed my tears when I need to, and then pick myself up and go on as I know they expect me to.

Hugs to everyone struggling with grief. Its not easy.

Thank you so much for posting this. A year ago today we lost our dear Grandson in a terrible accident during a blizzard. Last year Christmas was almost impossible to bear. This year is a little better, but this being the anniversary of his death and with Christmas coming I find the tears flowing again. He left 4 small children. I try to focus on the children. Adam, the GS that passed away, lived with us for 6 years when his mother and Dad divorced. He gave me a snow man and a snowman basket to keep my Christmas Cards in and even though it made me sad to think of Adam, it made me smile to think how pleased he was when he gave me the snowmen. Thank you again. I will buy an ornament in his honor.

What a nice tradition and tribute to those you love. I started one last Christmas in honor of my stepson. He lost his battle with depression in the spring of last year at the tender age of 19. Where I work we help sponsor the Christmas tree stars you sometimes see in the mall (for children that would otherwise not get Christmas gifts). My stepson loved to skateboard so the money I would have spent on him I spent on 2 boy Christmas tree stars. The boys had both asked for skateboards. The lady that does the stars was excited that we would take 2 since most people don't want to spend as much as a skateboard can cost. This year I couldn't find any stars w/skateboard requests so I asked and they located 4 for me. I took 2 and a co-worker took 2. In addition to the boards I got them helmets this year. My stepson was very giving and it makes me feel closer to him to give something to someone in his honor.

Diannia

Diannia...This is just precious what you are doing! You have the idea of what I am saying with my tradition. You take that grief and do something positive with it in honor or memory of that special loved one that has passed away and it brings that person close to you during the holiday istead of feeling like they are lost to you. I don't send out my Christmas Tradition every year and don't know what it is that makes me decide this is the year to do it but I really hope that there is someone out there that has lost that spark of the holiday spirit that can find it once again from reading my letter and by you and others sharing your stories as well. My hubby and I are having a tough time this year so I can't buy any presents for the kids or grands but I feel there are things I can do to give them a great Christmas! Wonderful memories that you can't buy. I bring my grand daughter over during the holiday weekends and we decorate and bake cookies and she really looks forward to this each year. She will remember that much longer than some toy I could have bought her. I plan to teach her to sew and quilt this Christmas break too. Anyway, I hope that I may have given someone the gift of finding their Christmas spirit again with my letter. Merry Christmas to you all.