"Some Good, Sacred Memory"

“You must know that there is nothing higher and stronger and more wholesome and good for life in the future than some good memory, especially of a memory of childhood, of home. People talk to you a great deal about your education, but some good, sacred memory, preserved from childhood, is perhaps the best education.”

-- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, "The Brothers Karamazov”

As I was putting out my Christmas decorations (and, good grief!, you can accumulate a lot of stuff from 30 years of family life!) it was such a fun adventure down memory lane. My favorite decorations are not the ones that are shiny and new.

My favorites are, in no particular order: a red felt Santa made out of a toilet paper roll by young Mattie Kelly; a popsickle stick manger scene which Grandma Hicks made with the Kelly kids at one of our Tucson Chirstmas's past; a "Snowman Family" stuck on a piece of wood with a snowman to represent each of the Kellys (okay - Jake - did I have to be the fattest snowman?!?!?); hand sewn quilt squares my girls and I made together when they were little at a mom and daughter activity.

As I thought about these treasures I realized it is the MEMORY that accompanies them that I cherish the most.

I am so grateful to all of you who have made such happy memories for me to cherish throughout the years!!! Every single Christmas our family has tops the last one - they just keep getting better and better every year, espcially since Jim's heart damage in 2002, because we now realize each day is such a gift to us all, each Christmas is its own "present" from God to us.

Here's to more wonderful Chirstmas memories in 2007 and for Christmases throughout all eternity!!!!!

Thanks, Miss Sadie, for helping make that Christmas choo-choo and also Miss Thaya for so artfully arranging those gumballs!!!!

I love you all!