The First Star

With the coming of the holiday season, I've been reminded of our (Practical Pat and I) first Christmas together. I was an intern at St. John's hospital in Tulsa, OK. We lived in an efficiency apartment (which suited our budget). Christmas was approaching and we didn't have a tree, wreath for the front door or any of the other trappings. Luckily, the hospital was throwing away some of the "aesthetically-deprived" trees and I snagged one. It reminded me a lot of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. Well, we did our best to decorate it with what we had, but when we finished, we decided it needed one more thing. Yep. A star for the top! So, necessity being the mother of invention, I found a discarded KFC box and cut it out in the shape of a star. Punched a hole in the center and then covered it with Reynolds Wrap. Was it symmetrical? No. Was it pretty? No. Did it reflect the lights on the tree? Barely. Did it generate any comments? No. (But they were probably being kind). Did it become a part of our tradition for many years? A resounding YES!! I would give anything to have that star again. Somewhere in the moves, or packing and repacking the ornaments, it was lost. Now all I have is a memory. But that memory shines brighter with each passing year. I guess your first star is a lot like your first love. You will never forget him or her and you will cherish it in your heart of hearts forever.