One of my favorite childhood memories at christmas is sitting in front of my grandmas huge fireplace on christmas eve. She always had it decorated so pretty with long strings of artificial holly and stockings. I would just sit there on the bottom stone ledge of the fireplace and watch christmas movies on tv and talk about santa with my grandma. She sold that house when I was just 12 after my grandfather passed away.
Just this summer, me and my husband bought our first house. Aside from being the perfect house for us, the large stone fireplace reminded me of my grandmas. I looked at many stores for those long strings of holly, but never found anything close. I'm sure my grandma bought those in the 60s long before I was born.
My aunt passed away a few months ago from cancer, and I had to help my family pack up her belongings from her house. In a corner in the back of her walk in closet, I found a box. Guess what was in it? Those same strings of holly that belonged to my grandma. I really think it was a blessing that I found them, and they now adorn my fireplace and will for many years to come.
