By Sarah Ruebenson
‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring,
Except for me
All the lights are turned off
Except the ones on the tree
The last tinges of my younger self
Glinting red, white, and green
The ornaments dangle gracefully:
Toothless baby pictures,
Ornately blown glass,
Wooden carved trinkets
I stand gazing at this tree that holds my childhood memories
Hanging in the balance,
Each branch telling a different story
I see a crystal carriage that was given to me for my very first Christmas
Engraved are the words “The greatest gift of all”
I hold this ornament seventeen years later,
Wishing I could relive the memories since it first hung on that tree
I remember popsicle-stained smiles,
Scraped knees and Dora bandaids,
Playing mermaids in the pool,
Losing my voice from church camp,
High school football games,
Impromptu coffee runs,
Late night car debriefs
I wonder what happened to all that time
All that joy
All that love
All that was mine
I let go, watching my childhood slip through my fingers
As I wander down the hall to my bedroom door
I stop for one final glance at that enduring tree,
Glowing with a light from Christmas past
But I rest easy knowing those memories will always be with me
From my first Christmas, to my last.