Grandma's Wreaths

As I was growing up, my elderly Czech grandmother -- who had come to America alone, when she was in her teens -- did almost no Christmas decorating.  She lived in another city, in the house where she had lived for decades -- now alone, after the death of her husband (my grandfather), and with her children grown and/or dead.  I do not recall whether she had a Christmas tree -- I suspect she might have had a small, artificial one.  The only decoration that I remember was two small artificial wreaths -- I believe they were made out of a red tinsley material, and perhaps four or five inches in diameter -- that she hung from the "pulls" on the shades on her two front windows.  Those are the only decorations I remember, but she hung them every year.

Back at my house, we had outdoor lights, lights in the windows, at least one large Christmas tree (sometimes more), and greenery and bows and candles and all sorts of decorations.  I was always struck by those two little wreaths in my grandmother's windows.  They seemed so profound, and so ... HOPEFUL.  Most of her life was over.  Her loved ones were mostly gone or far away.  Yet she did not let the season pass by un-noticed.  There were those two little wreaths, year after year.  Other houses had massive displays.  Why bother with those two little fake wreaths?  But there they were.  I wish I could write or say something as profound as my grandmother said with those two little wreaths.

Merry Christmas to one and all!