Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Monogrammed Stockings

My stockings arrived today! All of them neatly wrapped in plastic and monogrammed with everyone’s name. I was elated- thus the new blog!

To me there is nothing as special as Christmas traditions. If you do not have any- you’re children- and you- need some. Our family has many.

Opening one gift on Christmas Eve; Reading the Christmas story from Luke & having prayer before opening our gifts on Christmas morning; Having a birthday cake for Jesus (chocolate is His favorite by the way); Getting new ornaments for the tree each year; Hanging the Jerusalem Bell on the top of the tree; Who puts the Angel on the tree; have all been a part of an Ouellette Christmas. These traditions are more precious and important to me now than they have ever been.

You might think that these memories and traditions that my parents kept alive with their children might cause my brother and I so much pain now that they are gone, and in some small way, they do. As much as I will miss my parents this year at Christmas, I am still looking forward to it.

Jason and I have talked about not being afraid to do things new- to make some traditions of our own. I don’t really know why, I think I might, but we are pushed by some deep inner desire to keep our family and its traditions- new and old- alive. Not that everything will be the same this year- it can’t be.

For one, our family Christmas tree had to be trashed. Somehow part of the tree was picked up in a trip to the dump during the moving and cleaning of my parent’s home. (Thank God it was just a tree!) So, the tree in my den is a tiny, scrawny thing that will in no way be able to hold the well over 100 ornaments that represent important memories for each member of our family each year. Oh well, we will make do (I just pray it holds the angel).

The Christmas Story will be read by one of us, and I will be the one needing patience while helping David and Brandon bake a birthday cake for Jesus (pray for me). It will be different for sure- but that is where those stockings come in.

My family was never very big on stockings. Some years we had them, some years we didn’t. I decided this year we would add it to our tradition list.

The boys will all have green and the girls (Julie for now) will have red- and… they are MONOGRAMED! This may all seem so very insignificant to you but it is a big deal to me.

Maybe because it helps me know that we are still a family- that we will live on and that we are doing things with our future in mind. However small I sometimes feel we are- we yet stand. That is a great deal to me.

Everyone wants to know what we will do this year for Christmas. I don’t know what all we will do- but I know that we will do. We will do things. They may be old things and they may be our own new things- but we will do them and we will do them as a family. I am looking forward to doing things with my family Christmas Day.

Thank you Mom and Dad for putting in me something that causes me to look forward to doing things with our family.

7 comments:

Michelle said...

I love that ya'll are keeping the old traditions alive and starting new ones too.

Karla said...

I agree with Michelle - keep the old traditions alive as you add the new ones. You have many years to make more memories. I would love to see pictures of the new stockings! HINT! And we will definitely want to know the stories of Jesus' b-day cake this year!

Merry Christmas! Love y'all!!

Lynn said...

I hope the Dialogue Header becomes one of the new traditions... I like the star!

Keith and Carla said...

I definitely want to hear about the cake (and pictures, too)!!!

Roxana said...

Joseph, do you have any idea what an encouragment you are?? Thank you for "keepin' on"

Linda Elms said...

Yes Joseph, you will DO the family traditions with dignity and style, I'm sure! I'm proud of you, Jason, and the boys. Ya'll are GREAT!

Mandy said...

Well, I just think you are an awesome persone on so many levels!!! You are a blessing to all those who know you. I love the way you squeeze life from everyday! This was taught to you by two of the finest people I know. This, I believe is the reason you can continue on with the old and the new melding them into a beautiful picture of joy and sorrow! You are awesome and if you ever forget just ask anyone we'll all tell you!!!!!