A couple of years ago in December, Amy was thinking about our great grandfather, Duncan Alexander Cattanach (husband of our great grandma Maude Dexter), and she was saddened at his tragic murder that had taken place April 20, 1912, and how his legacy had been forgotten. Though he had been killed many years before my daughter Amy was born, Amy always felt a special closeness to him.
She began writing letters to the town he had been murdered in, and had received copies of old newspaper articles about his death. It made her feel very sad, yet very close to him. She had wished that he was here to celebrate Christmas with us, as well his parents and our Grandma Maude. This weighed heavily on Amy's mind.
One day in December two years ago, I found her in the kitchen with a box of clear glass ornaments, copies of our great grandfather's photo and of his parents and of Grandma Maude, as well glue, glitter and scissors.
She turned to me with the happiest expression on her face, and held up the ornament that had our great grandfather's photo on it. It was beautiful!
She took all of the family photos and had decopauged them onto all of the glass ornaments, and hung them on the pine bows that spriraled around our banister.
It was so breathtaking, and such a loving tribute to our family that had passed away long before we had been able to meet them, and it was a way to honor them at Christmas time and to have them with us.
Last year Amy made one with my mother's beautiful image, who had passed away 14 years ago, and one for our cousin Clifford, who has been missing in action from the Korean War.
It is a tradition that we will keep with us every year. This year Amy will be adding ornaments with the images of our beloved little Scottie dogs who have passed away over the years.
This is a tradition you may be interested in doing also...it is such a loving tribute, and it such a beautiful way to honor the memories of our loved ones, no matter how long ago they passed.
May God bless you and yours this Christmas season.
Sandra, Maude Dexter's Great Granddaughter
Amy, Maude Dexter's Great Granddaughter
