37 years of tradition

It took me 15 seconds to screw up a tradition that has lasted 37 years.

Chris has not been doing so well since we found out about the miscarriage last Monday. This combined with the realization that this will be the first Christmas with out his mother has all just come down on him. So to cheer him up I decided to break out all the holiday decorations and get the Miazga house in the holiday spirit.

Chris's Mom went all out for the holidays. There was not an inch of her house that was not decorated. When we went to Virgina this summer to clean out her house we found 63 boxes of Christmas decorations. We couldn't take them all so Chris sorted through them and took the ones that meant the most to him. The most important being the family Nativity set. There is nothing fancy about this set. Just a ceramic set that his Mom hand painted 37 years ago. She had a beautiful Waterford Crystal Nativity set that Chris gave to his sister. He only wanted the one she made.

On Saturday I am unpacking the boxes of decorations when I find the set. I am so excited because I have the perfect place for it. Right on the table in the entry so that Chris can enjoy it every day as he comes and goes from the house. I start to carefully unpack all the little figures. When suddenly I hear a Crash. Look down and there is a Camel in the floor in 100 pieces. Chris comes in the room and I have to tell him what happened. he get a look of frustration on his face and I feel terrible. He says to me "My Mother unpacked every piece of that set 37 times and never once broke a single thing". I apologize and tell him that I can glue it back together. He looks at me like I am crazy and gets the broom. I start to cry and apologize.

As We were driving to a Christmas party last night we were talking and I realized our frustration had nothing to do with the broken Camel. It is more about how broken we feel. Broken that Chris's Mom is gone. Broken that we lost our baby. Our hearts are what is broken. So a few tears were shed and then I said... "Well at least I didn't break baby Jesus". Chris grabbed my hand and smiled and said that is why I love you. Always willing to look at the better side of things.