12 Days of Christmas - Heritage & Legacy

Christmas at the Pollmann house ~ 1974

One of my friends' mom passed away this week. My heart breaks because I know so well the pain of that loss. I miss my mom so much but her presence is in everything I run across daily, especially at the holidays. My mom helped our family begin traditions that my daughter has insisted on - Christmas would not be Christmas in our house without Breakfast casserole...and also would not be the same without the nativity. My mom passed down a beautiful Nativity to me. My dad had made the manger and he had collected all of the pieces in the scene and gifted them to her. The characters in the nativity grew from the holy family, to include the shepherds, wisemen and animals. It is such a joy and such a heartbreak to set up this special part of Christmas each year...especially because I have with the items the last 2 Christmas cards my mom ever sent to me. (And the envelope with the date!!)

While hanging ornaments on our tree this year I noticed something on one that I hadn't before...on it was engraved the following: Daniel Murray - August 21, 1962 - January 10, 2002

"I love you all dearly, now don't shed a tear, I'm spending my Christmas
with Jesus this year."

I don't know why I did not see it before; the ornament is engraved on the backside, so maybe I just didn't look at it closely enough. I know it was a "Hello" from Danny. Veronica and I marveled at the gift. This was given to me by Linda Murray Christmas of 2003. Christmas at the Murray house has not been the same ever since.

To pass down some traditions from Linda, I shared her recipe for "Hello Dollies" -those are the delicious butterscotch chip and coconut cookie bars we enjoy every year. Just have to be careful not to eat all of them!

I miss my mom - and truly I feel like an orphan many days of the year. An orphan is the only description I can find that relates how I feel...parent-less. However, like I mentioned above, even though my mom's passing changed the course of my life, she will live forever in my heart:

when I hear the windchimes,
when I see the iris blooming,
when I see the sand dollars,
when I hear Nat King Cole and
when I attend the Christmas Mass.

Love you Mom. Love you Dan. Miss you very much.