The year is 2018, I am now 21 years old and the time of year is nothing short of perfect. Final exams are in my past, I'm working 2 jobs and am getting paid well, and all I can focus on now is Christmas and family. The rest of the fun stuff that comes along with my holiday preparation include Christmas gift shopping, decorating my house, and watching Christmas movie marathons with my family.
While my mother and I were decorating our Christmas tree together - an annual tradition we have with one another that brings us closer together - I stumbled upon 3 ornaments that I felt like deserved more light than just the light from on our Christmas tree. They tell memorable stories and help to define who I am as a person. I picked these 3, my favorite ornaments, to share their content.
1. Emmy, my first dog.
Photo credit to Shari Errigo
When I was 3 years old, my biological father would pick me up and take me to his house. When he dropped me back off at my mother's one day, I came home with a huge smile on my face when I saw her. Emmy, my first dog, a Maltese-poodle mix or a Malti-Poo.
Emmy grew up with me and made it through 15 tough years of life. Because she was my first dog, she was my experimentation pet (as horrible as that sounds). She got me through the good and the bad, the ugly and the best times. In order to commemorate her and remember her forever, we have an ornament with her name on it with the year that the ornament was created on the reverse side. Our old groomer put a piece of her hair into this ornament with golden glitter. Every year when I hang this ornament, I'll shed a tear in her honor. Miss her the most.
2. Freedom Athletics Glory.
Photo credit to Shari Errigo
When I was in high school, I was a competitive cheerleader outside of high school as well as a cheerleader for my high school. One of those years was spent with a cheerleading company called Freedom Athletics. I competed on a Senior level 2 team and our team's name was Glory. Our wonderful team mom of that year treated us very well and gave us these beautifully decorated ornaments with our names on them and our team name. One of the best teams I've ever competed on, Glory will always be missed along with competitive cheerleading which I've since retired from.
3. Savannah, Georgia ferry.
Photo credits to Shari Errigo
This last ornament is of a ferry that leaves on the curbside of River Street in Savannah, Georgia. My parents and I used to plan annual trips to the same hotel in Savannah around my mother and I's birthdays (October). We'd spend our birthdays there each year together and celebrate with some shopping, dinner by the river, lots of walking around and exploring and tours in hearses (we enjoy haunted tours).
This ferry is always docked at River Street and we'd see it every time we walk down from our hotel. We've taken a few pictures with this ferry, but this ornament is a better depiction of its beauty. Because it's something I can remember easily about Georgia, I chose this ornament from a store for our tree with Savannah's name on it. Savannah has so many memories for my parents and I, and we continue to visit every chance we get. I miss it very much and can't wait to go back. I've spent a lot of time there.
My 3 ornaments all hold a special place in my heart. Remembering a special place, a special dog and a special team is what makes those memories mine. I wish I could go back in time and re-experience everything that I've enjoyed in my past, specifically these times. But since I can't, when I wrap up my year in review each year decorating my Christmas tree, I'll come across this and they'll take me back to better times and times I'll never forget.
