The Christmas Angel | 25 Days of Me

Every year our tree has an angel on the top. Well except for this year as she no longer will attach to the tree. This angel joined our family decades ago when my father found her. We had one of those straight blue things with a ball at the end as our topper for many years. If you have no idea what I am talking about then you are too young.

It looked like the one in the picture that I found on Etsy. My father hated that thing! He hated when my mother pulled it out every year. Although, now he would be kicking himself in the butt because they are actually worth something if you have an original. Anyway, one year he decided it was time for something new. He was relentless in his quest for what he wanted.

I don’t know if he had a plan but we spent days going to different stores and all of the holiday markets they had going on. We didn’t find anything and he was more than a little upset. To this day I have no idea why it was so important that particular year.

Then one day he came home from work with this angel. He said she would be our new tree topper and she was for many years. That she was not just an angel , but one that would radiate a warmth and grace befitting the spirit of Christmas. She was handcrafted by a local artisan that he saw in a store window on his way home.

My father deliberated for only a moment before making a decision that would forever alter the course of our family’s Christmas traditions. He purchased the angel without hesitation, determined to introduce her to our home, where she would grace our Christmas tree with her radiant presence.

A Christmas to Remember

That Christmas was unlike any other we had experienced. It was one of our best Christmases ever and one I have never forgotten. I have also never forgotten how my father gently cradled the angel in his hands and perched her atop the tree, securing her in a position where she could watch over our holiday festivities.

In the years that followed, the angel became a beloved part of our family’s Christmas traditions. Each holiday season, she would reappear, taking her place at the top of the tree and infusing our home with the same magic and love as that unforgettable Christmas.

As the angel continued to watch over us, our family grew and changed. New members joined our ranks, and the story of that magical Christmas was passed down. The angel became a symbol of our family’s enduring love and the importance of coming together during the holiday season.

Still With Us

When my father passed the angel came to me. Actually, I stole the angel the first Christmas after he passed. The family had decided it was too difficult for them to put her up and bought something new. She was put out into the trash or giveaway pile and I liberated her from there. She went onto my tree from that moment on. Although I will admit that it took a few years before I let anyone know I had her. Whenever anyone in the family would come to visit me I would take her down and hide her. I was terrified they would see her and take her from me.

Finally, the first Christmas Ma was with me, everyone was talking about the angel and how much they wished they hadn’t gotten rid of her. So I exposed my theft, although was it really a theft and not a rescue? She has been with me since and this year she isn’t on the tree. I took her and had her restored as she was looking a little worse for wear. I had them put her on a regular stand as well. It was past time for her to retire. However, she is more than an angel; she is a symbol of the magic that fills our hearts each Christmas season, a reminder that love and togetherness are the greatest gifts of all.