Seven years before she died, my mother joined one of my daughters and me on a girls’ trip to Dahlonega, Georgia. My college roommate makes it an annual tradition to take her own mother and daughters to start the season of Christmas shopping the weekend before Thanksgiving each year, so we met them there that year, staying with them in their favorite Smith House suite overlooking the Dahlonega square. It was a magical time of welcoming the Christmas spirit, eating great food, playing dominoes and cards, reading, sleeping past 6 a.m., lingering over coffee, and shopping for those on our lists.
I’m so grateful for that time we had together. Mom knew something was different, and she suspected Parkinson’s Disease long before her official diagnosis came. Her right thumb trembled endlessly, and she found she grew weaker and felt increasingly exhausted in her daily routine, even with her normal daily tasks. I was glad our room was close to the town square so that she could go back and rest when she felt too tired to walk.
We were downstairs in one of the gift shops when Mom’s eyes lit up. She’d spotted the sale sign on Willow Tree items. I was curious about what she’d wanted from the selection, so I followed her over to the table, where she stood admiring the Nativity set.
She bought that basic Nativity set as my Christmas gift that year and added to it for the next several years, giving me a new part of the collection each year. At the time, I was thankful, but not nearly as grateful for that gift then as I am today. The memory of our time together lives on, and this is one gift that I truly cherish because it marks our trip and takes me right back to the place where she found the joy of giving this to me and building it over time. When I admire these pieces, she is right here with me. In this Nativity, I see the past, present, and future.
Common Threads 
Kim,
This is a bittersweet memory and one I know you cherish. You’re lucky to have had a mother w/ whom you were so close. I think often about this uncanny ability to know oneself so well that we often know our own diagnosis. Your nativity set makes me want to find a new one.
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Glenda, thank you. There are so many wonderful nativity sets of all kinds, and I love looking at them. Two of my other favorites are the Peanuts gang set (yes, I think because I love A Charlie Brown Christmas where they tell the story), and the oyster shell nativity sets. I have also seen some made from wood from The Holy Land, too. I don’t think anyone can ever have too many nativity sets. I know you will find the perfect one in all your travels.
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How many nativity sets do you have, Kim? I’ve had several over the years, but something always gets broken. Anyway, I subbed in 7th grade today for a former student. She had kids reading A Christmas Carol and writing g about the people they would visit from their past or from their present.
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Oh Kim, what a precious memory. I know my family will make memories when we visit soon. But your post reminded me that my mother gave me a Fontini crèche early in my marriage and added a piece for my birthday each year. I even remembered the store where she got it. Thanks for giving me the gift of a sweet memory.
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Margaret, I’ll bet that nativity is gorgeous! I would love to see a picture of it sometime. There is something sacred about a collection that was given over time – the intentionality of the gift, the building through the years. I’m so glad you have these pieces that are special to you, and that will surely be cherished by future generations as well.
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