Jean Diamond

I inherited this ornament when my mom died 15 years ago.  It was on her first Christmas Tree when she was a baby so I know that it is at least 95 years old.  She grew up on the South Side of Chicago, part of a large Irish family.  It wasn’t an easy childhood during the Depression, but she always told me happy stories about her family and especially her Grandma who taught her to read the newspaper at a very young age.

On Christmas Eve the whole family would gather and my mom and all of the kids in the family were crammed into the bathroom while my Grandma tried to keep control of the excited mob.  Through the closed door they would hear rustling, crashes and even jingle bells. After an interminable wait, they were released to find that Christmas had arrived along with a giant tree surrounded by gifts. 

I have never hung this ornament for fear that it would be broken, but this year I am going to gather my courage and hang it on the tree for all to see.