Traditions Always Include the Baby
By: Marie Kriedman
Our family has many holiday traditions – visits with Santa, writing letters on Christmas Eve, setting out cookies with milk, sprinkling reindeer food on the front lawn, seeing holiday lights, visiting with friends, and so much more.
On Christmas morning our brood wakes up to a tree with flashing red and green lights, shiny presents, full stockings, and “snow” (Styrofoam balls) spread all over our family room. Our first tradition of the day is a snowball fight before we start opening gifts.
On Christmas Eve, we always place our stockings by the tree so Santa can’t miss them – and that is the hardest for me – five stockings ready to be filled, but one person is missing.
Four people will wake up early the next morning: two bleary-eyed and ready for coffee, and the other two will be energetic and eager to discover the surprises under the tree. And it is the joy of Christmas morning that makes the eve of Christmas so difficult.
Grief is always a two-sided coin because tears are a reflection of love. The five Christmas stockings represent my whole family, and I love seeing them all together. And in equal measure, it makes me unbearably sad. It is the epitome of bittersweet.
There is no grief without love, and it is because of this love that our family tradition will remain unchanged. It is important that Olivia is always included in our family events. She has ornaments on our tree, a Christmas stocking, a birthday to be celebrated, and a place in our family.
About Marie Kriedman
Marie started her journalism career as a copy editor and paginator for a newspaper. She eventually left the newspaper business and has continued as a freelance writer for more than 20 years. She founded Write Away K and is the author of many children’s books. She published two books to honor her daughter, Saying Goodbye to Olivia and Olivia Had Trisomy 18. Marie and her husband are graciously permitted to live in a house with their cats. They are also parents to two children and one angel baby. Please visit BooksbyMarie.com to learn more.