Ornaments on the tree

Finally worked up the energy to put the ornaments on the tree tonight.  I thought unwrapping all those memories would cause my heart to break.  But you know what happened?  I smiled as I remembered and shared those memories with Steven.

I wished Jared was here to help me decorate and reminisce but I felt his spirit as I unwrapped each ornament.

Each vacation ornament.  Our trip to Italy, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, England, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, New York, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Mont Tremblant, North Carolina, South Carolina, DC, Phoenix, Grand Canyon, Vermont, Tennessee, Miami, Greece, France, Central America, the Caribbean, Mexico.

Each milestone ornament.  Our engagement, wedding, birth of our precious child, all of our individual and family accomplishments, Steven's annual ornaments, our yearly family ornaments.

Then I unwrapped his angel ornament.  I felt my heart flutter and my breath catch, but that ornament let me know he will always be here at Christmas and always.

All our adventures.  All of our memories. So much love on that tree.  So much life lived on that tree.  Our love story, our life story displayed in ornaments.  Proof that love lives on.