Friday, January 02, 2009

Elena's Tree

Nana and Papa added some extra Christmas joys to your place this year. A gingerbread house, a snowman, a little white fence with some garland. But most importantly your tree was there. The tree that they put all of your ornaments on every year as their way of saying "Merry Christmas" and "We love you." The tree that has stood just below your headstone for six years now.

We miss having you here to wake up with Zaya on Christmas morning. To toast apple cider with us at midnight on New Year's Eve. To throw your arms around my neck and give me a skinny-arm squeeze.

I don't visit your place as often as I should. But I love you forever. And you're with me always. It will be another year of many blessings for our family, but it will also be another year without you.