A Swift Kick in the Gut by Christmas Spirit

I considered myself a Scrooge this year. Unforeseen travel, coming to terms with personal things I can't change and the hurry-hurry of Christmas did me in. Ebeneezer it was.

We spent a quiet Christmas at home, watching the youngest, Isabel, enthralled by everything that was Christmas. We ate dinner in our pj's and pretty much kept to ourselves.

I received several gifts (gift cards, books, Cd's, kitchen items, etc.) and a necklace from my in-laws; a pretty milky/clear stone in a scroll-like setting on a thin silver chain. Nice, I thought. I'm really not much of a jewelry wearer. I have a lot of it, handed down by my mom, my ex mother-in-law (r.i.p.) and now my current one. I just don't wear it much.

I wore the necklace on Tuesday and e-mailed my mother-in-law from work, thanking her for the necklace and asking her what the stone was.

She replied that the stones were called Moonstones and were sent from her father years ago (when she was 3 yrs old or less) to their mother as a gift. He was working in Japan, and they (my m-i-l, her sisters and mom) were in the States. On an LP he recorded he mentioned that the Japanese did not like the stones too much, but that they were popular with Americans. Eventually they were set into jewelry; necklaces, rings, etc.

[Back Story: My mother-in-law's father (David's grandfather) was presumed killed in a plane wreck when she was 3 years old. They had finally moved to Japan to be with him. He flew to the States to take care of some family business. Flying back to Japan to be home with his wife and 3 daughters, the plane he was in went into the cloudy Alaskan skies and was never seen from again. Mrs. H and her 3 daughters had to make it back home from Japan on their own.]

Mrs. H passed away over 3 years ago. Her 3 daughters separated the moonstones amongst themselves. My mother-in-law had them taken out of the old jewelry and set into 3 slightly different silver necklaces. One for her daughter and one for each of her two daughters-in-law.

After reading the e-mail, I sat at my desk at work, silently crying, ashamed at my attitude over the past few weeks, and hoping my boss would not notice. I e-mailed my mother-in-law telling her that I was touched and honored at such a gift.

I am. Honored.