My house is all decorated for Christmas. As I look around I see several of my decorations that belonged to my mom. They are some of my favorites, and even though some of them are broken and have been glued together, I can't get rid of them. They hold too many memories. Many of these decorations are ceramics my grandma made, which makes them extra special. They may be battered and broken, but they tell stories of my mom and my grandma, and until they shatter beyond repair, I will keep them.
My favorite of all the decorations I have inherited is my mom's nativity that my grandma made. It is beautiful. It is a pearly cream with gold leaf accents. It seems to be alive as the pearl shimmers and reflects rainbows of soft colors. There are several pieces to the nativity: Three camels and the three Wise Men, Shepherds, Ox and Sheep, an Angel, and, of course, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus in his manger. Each piece is unique and has my grandma's initials and the year it was made on the bottom. It was always the centerpiece of my mom's decorations, always in a prominent place where it could be seen and admired, usually on her china hutch. She would place white lights and angel hair under the nativity so it seemed to be floating on a glowing cloud. I have fond memories of lovingly placing each piece. When I was younger, I would spend countless hours rearranging the nativity to try and find the best way to showcase the nativity. I would place boxes under the Angel to make him appear to be hovering above the scene. I would try and have every animal and figurine facing toward baby Jesus in the center, yet I also wanted it to not look to "staged."
I now spend hours trying to find the perfect place of honor for this nativity in my home. I don't have the china hutch to place it on. I no longer have the angel hair to place under it to make the lights glow. I tried placing it on top of a book case in my front entryway, but this doesn't work as it is too narrow for all of the pieces to fit safely. Last year it was on my coffee table, but then I ran into the problem of do I have it so you can admire it from the couch, or from the rest of the room? I have yet to find the perfect place for this nativity, but I still enjoy spending the time arranging each piece, lovingly, as I try the many different locations. I know that I will find the perfect place to showcase this treasured decoration. Until then, I will just enjoy each piece as I relive my childhood arranging and rearranging this nativity.
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