Bells

In my dresser drawer, there’s a small cardboard box. It contains holiday jewelry; cute and festive earrings, pins, etc. Most of the collection came from my mom.

Mom hasn’t worn jewelry on a regular basis for several years. Unfortunately, her fingers are no longer capable of managing the hooks and pins, and she has trouble remembering the details of putting things on and taking things off. Sometimes, we’ll help her pin a broach on her shirt or put a bracelet around her wrist, but we must be careful to remove it before our visit ends so that it doesn’t get lost or broken. Jewelry just can’t be a regular part of her life these days.

Years ago, however, she wore jewelry all the time. The holiday season always included at least one celebratory piece that she wore for fun. Sometimes, she’d get matching pieces for my sister and me, and we’d all wear them at parties and other special events.

None of the items were expensive, only decorative little baubles that caught her eye. Regrettably, most of them didn’t last very long. But a few remain today, tucked away for safekeeping.

This year, I took her little Christmas bell earrings, the dangly ones with the tiny red bows, out of the box. I’ve been wearing them here and there during the past few weeks. They make a soft jingly sound that reminds me of my mother’s happiest days, decorating and cooking and filling the house with holiday spirit. She took delight in creating Christmas magic, and we, her family, were the focus of her warmth and love. How fortunate we were.

Here’s to the things that help us bring meaning to our holidays. And here’s to the people we love, who are the most important part of our celebrations.