Christmas Lost ... and Found

This year, the first thing I did was trim my tree. So I got out the big plastic box with the little dividers that holds all my precious ornaments and transformed our tree from a Fall Tree to a Christmas Tree. (For a picture of the tree, refer to the previous article.) But when I opened up the red box that holds my Christmas House decorations, the box was almost empty. My Christmas Hearts were not there. I was stunned. These hearts had been lovingly made by hand, quilted, some embroidered, and I used them to tuck into nooks and crannys, nest into bowls, and hang across the bookcase. I didn't know what to do. I went through both boxes again. I went through my box of Fall decorations. Then I began, one by one, to go through all the boxes of Christmas "Stuff" that I have saved but never display because there isn't room in the loft for everything. I came across a lot of wonderful memories, gave up a lot of them to go to Goodwill, but didn't find my Christmas Hearts. Somehow, I knew I wouldn't, but it was like I had to go through everything anyway.

Then yesterday as I was walking through the bedroom, I got a very clear picture in my mind's eye of the upper cabinet of my computer hutch. I hesitantly walked to the hutch, not wanting to be disappointed again, but somehow, somehow, I had a feeling. And when I opened the hutch doors, there they were, all carefully packed and protected. Now they grace my living space, and it feels a little bit like a Christmas miracle.