“In Memory”

Mommy died last year.  I cried and cried, but I couldn’t bring her back.

Daddy said she went to Heaven.  I hope she did.  I loved my Mommy.

This year had been very cold.  Me and my brother played in the snow, but mommy wasn’t here to watch us. 

This was going to be my first Christmas without her.  I had played in the snow, but I was still sad.

Last year’s Christmas had been good.  Mommy was very sick, but she still wanted to make it a good Christmas for me and my brother.  She put up decorations and cooked us Christmas cookies.   On Christmas morning the cookies we left for Santa were gone.

Daddy said Mommy would always love us and that we would always love her, she just wouldn’t be with us anymore.

I had asked Daddy, “Where is Mommy going?”

He told me that she was going to Heaven.  Still, I was very sad.

Mommy died a little while after Christmas last year.  Every year we cut down a Christmas tree and decorated it.  This year was going to be no different except that Mommy wouldn’t be with us.

This morning during breakfast Daddy said to me and my brother that we were going to get a Christmas tree just like we did last year.  I love getting Christmas trees almost as much as I like the presents that Daddy and Mommy always put under the tree.

Still, I was sad.  Mommy wasn’t with us anymore.  Sometimes I still cried.

We searched the Christmas tree farm.  As we looked, Daddy had said that Mommy had gone to Heaven to be with the angels and that she would want us to go on with our lives.’  I missed Mommy, but Daddy kept telling me that she was now in a better place.

It was very cold tonight.  Daddy had us put on mittens.   When we got to the Christmas tree farm, the snow was falling; not a lot, just enough to help me feel like it really was Christmas without Mommy.

Last year Mommy had been with us. 

Some of the trees had icicles falling from them.  We looked through the trees.  We wanted a big tree, but not too big because it had to fit in the house.

I loved Christmas time.  I loved cutting down and decorating the tree.  We looked through the Christmas tree farm and found one that we wanted.  Both me and my brother were much too little to cut down the tree, but Daddy was able to for us.  The cold air felt good to me and I smiled as the tree fell down.

Christmas trees to me were almost as fun as the rest of the holiday.  After Daddy cut down the tree, we tied it down to the back of the truck and drove it home. 

The decorations and the smell of the tree made me feel like it was Christmas time.

We had special decorations for everybody.  We wrapped the tree in garland and lights.  We put the decorations on the tree.  Daddy had bought each of us a special decoration this year; he did that every year.  I almost cried again when we put up one for Mommy.  I missed her.

We sprinkled tinsel on the tree and we were done.

Daddy said to the two of us,” This is our first Christmas without your Mother.  I know it is hard for you as it is for me.  It is still time to grieve on move on, but to never forget.” 

Daddy opened up a box and said to us, “This is ornament is to top the tree.  Every year when we celebrate Christmas we will also be celebrating your Mother’s life.”  He pulled out the ornament.  It was an angel draped in white. 

He said, “Every year we will place this on top of our Christmas tree to remember all the love she gave to us.”  

Mommy was now an angel in heaven.