A Few of My Favorite Things

While I love snowflakes staying on my nose and eyelashes, I have a few other favorite things this time of year.

My Noel Angels

My mother always placed these angels on the fireplace mantel when she decorated for Christmas. I remember playing with them from the time I was very young (that’s why they’re glued in so many places). My children rearrange them to spell other words. They’re teasing me, but I know that they think of my mom every time they touch the Noel angels.

       

Macaroni Ornament

I’ve saved every ornament my three kids made from kindergarten through middle school. For me, decorating the Christmas tree isn’t a chore. It’s a walk down memory lane. Each time I hang an ornament, I think about its history and the person who gave it to me.

Oh, Christmas Tree

Bernadette, my best friend from high school, made this ceramic Christmas tree for me in 1970. I put it out every year. Though Bernie and I live hundreds of miles away, she is with me at Christmas when I light up this tree.

Our First Christmas

Rich and I married in 2004. He is the most wonderful person I have ever known, and every day I thank God for him in my life. When I hang this ornament, I think of the love that fills our home and how very blessed we are.

How easy it is to get caught up in the bustle of my Christmas to-do list. But my favorite things offer a chance to step back, slow down, and appreciate the special people in my life. This is the gift of gratitude, and my favorite things remind me to give thanks.

Please Share Your Favorite Things

I would love to know what favorite things bring special meaning to you this time of year. If you’d like, include a picture 

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, or Happy Holidays, I wish you peace, love, and joy today and throughout the New Year.

 

6 thoughts on “A Few of My Favorite Things

  1. Thimgan Hayden says:

    One thing, in addition to several decorations, that reminds me of my childhood and now departed grandparents is recipes. I made fudge from the old Betty Crocker cookbook today. Just like my grandma and mother. Several recipes are handwritten by my mom, grandma, and old friends.

    • Elizabeth Meyette says:

      Nothing says Christmas to my kids like the aroma of anise flavored cut-out cookies. I still use their grandmother’s handwritten recipe. You are so right, Thimgan, family recipes are so special.

  2. Diane Burton says:

    I have the ceramic nativity set my grandmother made for our family when I was a kid. When I look at it, I see her and my mom and remember how much I miss them. (I’m not sure how to add a picture.)

    • Elizabeth Meyette says:

      I remember how much I loved our Nativity Set from my childhood. How special yours is because your Grandmother made it for you, Diane. What a precious “favorite thing”!

  3. Patricia Kiyono says:

    I can’t think of any items that bring memories. For me, it’s music. I’ve been playing and singing most of my life, and different carols and genres of holiday music remind me of different periods: The children’s songs from my childhood, the funny songs from my teenage years, the madrigal tunes and classical melodies from college years, and then the children’s songs once again when my children were young.

    • Elizabeth Meyette says:

      Oh, Patricia, I love the music of the season. The hauntingly beautiful hymns of Advent, the romantic “under-the-mistletoe” pop hits, and the glorious hymns of the Angels. I love them all. Singing with my choir at our Christmas Eve Mass is a highlight of the year for me.

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