Frost on the window- grief at Christmas
December 20, 2007 by Noreen Crone-Findlay
Filed under yarn crafts
This morning, it was cooooooooooooooooooold!
The frost on the trees was so beautiful!
Our house is an ‘offbeat’ one! We are built into a hillside, and the walls are 12 inches thick. We are passive solar (my studio has a wall of windows that pour in light) and heat the house with a wood burning stove in the studio. The furnace is only a backup.
Anyhow, I was looking out the dining room window this morning, and the frost was so pretty, I just had to take a pic or two.
The smiling snowman windsock hanging on the deck is a gift that we received posthumously from Jim’s sister. Last year was our first Christmas after her death, and it was hard. When we received the snowman windsock in the mail, after she died, we were reduced to tears. We hung it up and didn’t take it down till summer.
We hung it up again a week or so ago, and as it flits merrily in the wind, we feel like Patty is waving at us from heaven.
This is our first Christmas without Jim’s Mum, and that is really hard. The closer Christmas gets, the bigger the ‘Mum shape hole’ is. We have both cried quite a few tears.
BUT, we are profoundly blessed to have the wonderful family that we do have. We feel that the sadness we experience in the loss of the ones who have gone ahead is just part of the loving…….. and it gives us deep compassion for other people who feel the absence of their loved ones, too!
My best friend sent me a beautiful card after Patty died.
It said that the Innuit have a belief that the stars are our loved ones, looking back at us, loving us, and feeling our love for them.
I have a special star that is my Dad smiling back at us (he died just before Christmas 2 years ago) and another that is Patty, and another that is Mum…..
So, if you are missing someone you love, go outside, find a star that is smiling at you, and know that you are loved!
hugs all round
Noreen
I’m so sorry for your loss. Christmas is never an easy time to not have a special loved one around. Now that I’m grown up, I realize just how terrible it was for my parents losing my brother just before the holidays. Last year we lost my grandmother and it was so difficult being without her. One of the special gifts I bought last year gave comfort to my mother. I only wish I were able to provide everyone who has suffered a loss with the same.
It’s a very special ornament that says:
I love you all dearly,
Now don’t shed a tear,
I’m spending my Christmas,
With Jesus this year.
Merry Christmas from Heaven.
I found ours at our local Hallmark store. It makes a wonderful gift for anyone who has lost a loved one – it helps to lift the heavy heart just a bit.
My thoughts will be with you this holiday.
Here’s a link to the ornament so you can see how beautiful it is:
http://www.collectiblestoday.com/ct/product/prdid-301092001.jsp
Thank you so much, Gayla, and my condolences on the death of your grandmother……..
Your ornament sounds lovely!
Christmas ornaments are so deeply imbued with meaning and memories. It’s a lovely way of connecting with our loved ones, isn’t it?
This is the third Christmas in a row in which we have lost a family member,so having both our kids get married last summer was a wonderful turning point towards the family growing instead of diminishing.
Hope you have a delightful, happy Christmas!
Blessings and Best Wishes to you and your family this Christmas. It may be a tough one but it does get better. Your stocking is lovely from the post from today. Hoping you have a wonderful holiday.
Thank you so much, Debra Ann
and I hope that you have a gorgeous Christmas, too!