Sunday, December 13, 2009

Pure Heaven

I have always loved nativity scenes.

I have fond memories of playing with our nativity scenes we set up every year around Christmas time.

My mom had a wooden "kid friendly" set that my brother and I could play with to our heart's content.

But it was always the fancy ceramic set that my Grandma Jackie handmade for my mom that I wanted to play with.

To rub my finger over their glossy faces was heaven.

To touch their silky, shiny robes.

To look at baby Jesus in his manger.

To see the joy in Mary's face looking down at her baby.

Pure heaven.

Knowing how much I loved nativity scenes, my Aunt Patty gave me a full nativity set for a wedding present in 2004.

I set it up each December with the same joy and exuberance as my 6-year old spirit did.

Carefully taking each figurine out of it's individual wrapping is like a yearly gift I never tire of.

The same gift ... every year.

But each year, a bit different.

Jaded by time.

Confident in life's journey.

Learning from experiences.

Healing from wounds.

Eager for the future.

Excepting of the present.

So this year, I added a special angel to my nativity scene.

If you look at the above picture, you'll see on the left-hand side, that one angle sits atop a riser.

A special angel.

An angel that looks over the nativity scene.

Protecting.

Praying.

And so, I gave this angel to Jay today.

The Angel Of Remembrance.

For our sweet baby we lost this year.


Another way to heal.

Another way to remember.

We cried painful, healthy, hearty, healing tears as we placed her atop her mighty stand.

The nativity scene feels a bit more complete this year.

Perfect.

And protected.

Pure Heaven.

Love you baby.

4 comments:

Diane Davis said...

Fabulous idea, Lisa.

I LOVE nativity sets too. I collect cultural ones and each year it is just so fun to get them out and remember who gave them to me. I think I have about 15 of them... black, asian, latino... ceremic, made from straw, clay, wood. Love them.

My best friend gives me pieces of this same one you have each year for christmas. I have the three wise men and the camel and shepard... had to tell her I need Jesus Mary and Joseph! It will be so fun to have the complete set in a few years! :)

I just think that your addition is so meaningful. Thanks for writing about it.

Love.

marisabutterworth said...

OK. I am a mess now. That is beautiful. Thanks for sharing a part of your journey, friend. Love you guys.

This Mama said...

yep, me too. i'm a mess over here, too. i love that you're so honest and vulnerable. you're so...YOU! and you're great.
thanks for sharing with us.
hugs

Anonymous said...

Oh, Lisa. I haven't been to your blog (or anyone's blog) for a long time so I'm just hearing of your loss. I am so, so sorry, and I think that the angel in your nativity is perfect. Before you even wrote about it, I noticed her back there and thought how perfect she looked in the scene. Since Angelo our house has had a lot more angels in it, too. I think it's beautiful.