Happy Birthday, Mom

Today would be my Momma's 101st birthday.

If I were a child again, 

it would also be the day my Daddy went out and bought

our live Christmas tree that we would decorate after

supper and birthday cake.

Dad would untangle the lights, fussing my Mom for

not putting them up correctly the year before and

nailing a string from the tree to the wall to keep the tree

from being crooked.

That was his part, lights and straight, and he was done.

Then Momma would put on Christmas music, pull out her

old Ornaments and reminisce as she handed us all her old glass bulbs

to decorate the tree. 

She would go to another place sometimes on these said nights

and at the time I did not understand it.

Yet this year as I and the grandgirls removed things from my attic

to decorate my own tree I understood.

There is my box of ornaments was the bear with Roddie's picture

in it that he made in first grade and Jesi's popsicle stick Santa

hat that had her own photo in it. 

The styrofoam ball with three little branches coming out of it

that every year I lovingly put on my tree, still not knowing

exactly what it is. There were many others that just sparked a memory

Jesi also had a little nostalgic look at the tree when she visited.

Telling D to look at that "One on the bottom branch"

and walking in the studio with two small ornaments she chose as a child.

We laughed about the ball with the sticks and even she does not

remember what it was supposed to be.

In the library, she saw a wooden display she painted when she was

a child and said,  "I can't believe you still have this."

Of course I do, My momma taught me long ago that one day

these simple Christmas decorations would be the same I 

treasured as I got older.

My momma, the things she taught us when she said nothing at all.

Happy Birthday dear woman, I hope you and Simone have been reunited

by now and you gals are waiting for Dad to untangle those darn lights

so you can begin your part of the tradition.