Cabin Snow Globe

Christmas was drawing near and I searched the attic until I found the old trunk filled with antique and fragile heirloom Christmas ornaments. They were bulbs that we’d stored away when the children were growing up, afraid they’d be damaged or broken. Many had been handed down through several generations and were irreplaceable.

As our children grew, decorations became handmade Santas, cotton ball lambs, angels, candy canes, handprint ornaments, and Popsicle snowflakes. These child-inspired works of Christmas art became our holiday precious treasures. Now the children were gone, their ornaments were gone, and so was my wife.

Feeling the need to recapture and resurrect a happier time in my life, I sought the trunk. I decided a Yuletide tree might brighten my empty home. It was the first time in several years that I was feeling the need. That old trunk held many reminders of our happier moments.

The tree I chose was small. Soon it was festooned with the old fragile heirlooms and was filled with just as many fragile memories. From among the wrappings, I pulled out plastic sleigh, reindeer, and Santa,. I gave its usual spot on top of the bookcase. The ceramic Crèche was centered in its special place on the mantelpiece. I thought the storage trunk was empty until I spotted the shine of light on the curved surface of the snow globe.

Carefully I removed it from its wrappings. The globe was hand blown. It was old before my wife and I bought it at a small antique shop. Inside the small cabin was nestled among several evergreens and would disappear in swirls of snow when the globe was shaken.

“I love it. I’d like to live in a place like that someday,” my wife Cindy said.

So, we bought the globe. In the past, I’d occasionally shake it to watch the snowstorm; I’d never really looked closely at it. I was about to shake it again when a small speck of color caught my eye. I’d never noticed it before and donned my glasses for a closer examination.

Surprised, I almost dropped the globe. Standing in the open doorway of the cabin was a woman, the same shape and coloration as my wife. Her hand was raised in a wave. As I cradled the glass globe, I smiled a sad smile. She was finally in the cabin of her dreams.