On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a portrait to put on the tree… actually, my true earthly love (aka: husband Mike) did not give it to me, but I gave it to us 14 years ago.

It was a Pooh and Piglet frame ornament with our newly married faces peeking out and glowing with joy. I love pigs, especially Piglet, and Mike is as faithful a friend as Pooh, and together we find Milne’s stories endearing, so it fit.

Though I didn’t realize it at the time, I was creating a tradition of buying, making, or receiving ornaments that would commemorate special moments from the past year.

As my family and I were decking the tree this year, I found myself saying multiple times, “Ohhh, remember this…” And it became a fun time of telling stories, even if they did ignore me half the time, leaving me to reminisce and laugh alone.

The point is, almost every ornament had a piece of our past etched into it, triggering a small celebration of our lives.

So in the next 12 days, the 12 days leading up to Christmas, I hope to share with you, 12 types of ornaments you may want to include on your tree. And on this special 12/12/12 double-digit date that will not occur for another century, maybe a special tradition of memories will emerge, one that highlights the valuable things in life.

The faces of loved ones doing unique or funny things or simply smiling can trigger all kinds of joy.

The memory of how my kids used to look, reminds me how quickly they are growing. Sigh. And one distant day later, when the boys are no longer living under our roof, I will look back on pictures of today and envy our times together. Longer sigh. But at least the memory will be there and I can be thankful for every bit of it.

Whether it’s a child, a family member, a friend, or a loved one who has passed, placing their image on the tree each year is a way to keep them in our hearts and their stories alive.

On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me — visit here tomorrow to see.