My Christmas Angel

After a very relaxing and stress-free trip back to visit family for Thanksgiving, we couldn't wait to pull out all the Christmas decorations to make our home sparkle with magic. The older the boys get, the more fun this time of year becomes. We put on holiday tunes and began decorating the tree - this is one of my favorite things to do.

While I do have two sets of matching Christopher Radkos, most of our ornaments are a hodgepodge of family heirlooms, handmade pieces and keepsakes so we talk about each one as we hang it on the tree - who made it, where it came from, how old it is. 

And finally, we top the tree with an angel. For some reason we've never found a star that could stand upright on the top, so we began using the angel, a decoration that my grandmother gave to me years ago. Little did I know how this piece that I've had for so long would become such an important part of our family's tradition. This year, it holds special meaning.

I lost my grandmother this past April. 

Although we didn't see each other as often as I would have liked, she stayed connected in other ways - not many people can say that their grandma had a Facebook page and sent emails better than some adults in younger generations! She loved to read my blog, and often responded with the most encouraging, heartfelt advice just when I needed it the most.

As I reached to place the angel on the tree, I remembered the note that she had wrapped around the cardboard base underneath the skirt:

Here I am, many years later and all grown-up with my own home. I couldn't help but get choked up reading her letter this year. I remember those Christmases, grandma. And I'll share those memories with my kids for years to come.