Great minds think alike, I guess?
Matt and I have a tradition of exchanging Christmas ornaments each year. Last year we unknowingly gave each other the same zombies in honor of our love for The Walking Dead. We hang both on the tree. I’ve made him a stained glass pumpkin because he prefers Halloween to Christmas. He’s bought me a field hockey player. I got him a Santa Clause riding a giant fish. It’s meant for a fisherman, but we both loved the movie Big Fish. He gave me an Irish Santa.
Years ago, I gave Matt a blown glass ball with blue waves to represent his company, Tsunami Tsolutions. A few years later, we decorated our tree, ran out, came back and found that the tree had fallen over. A few ornaments had shattered, including the blown glass wave. He asked if I could get it again. I wasn’t sure. I hadn’t bought in on Amazon. I’d found it someplace random. And when I searched Google again for “wave ornament” or “blown glass wave” nothing was coming up.
Meanwhile our friend Maureen had been suggesting for a few years that we all go on vacation to Maho Bay in St. John. She had been there and was sure we would love it. There were these little treehouse-like tents on the beach at this Eco lodge. For some reason, we kept pushing her idea back for another trip or a better time.
So when I searched my emails for a receipt of the blown glass ornament, it struck me when I saw something about Maho Bay. I called Maureen. “Where is it you’ve been asking us to go on vacation?”
“Maho Bay,” she responded.
“Do they have a glass blowing place there?”
“Yes, the place I want to stay offers glass blowing. You can get lessons. It’s so cool.”
It was settled. We had to go to Maho Bay. The glass place no longer shipped. There was no way to get the ornament again except to go there. Maureen was right. Maho Bay was beautiful, and we had a wonderful time even though it rained nearly the whole trip. We snorkeled with sea turtles, we each had a lesson in blowing glass, and we got to watch them redo Matt’s ornament. It’s officially our most expensive ornament on the tree, if you include the costs of flying to Maho Bay to get it. But it was completely worth it.
The wave ornament. But if you look closely, you’ll notice two zombies hanging in the background.
All of our ornaments remind me of a story or person. When I look at this one, I can’t help but smile. It’s filled with stories. The trip to Maho Bay was great. I’m impressed with Tsunami and the people who work there. Tsunami always reminds me of Matt and his business partner, Kevin. I see them both in the blue and white orb. Maho Bay kicked off a series of great trips with Maureen. And I’m happy to know Matt likes it so much. Hanging all over our tree are little memories of trips, people and significant moments. The waves of this one may hold the most of all those nestled on the branches of our tree.
As we approach the end of the year, may you have a moment to enjoy your memories, good and bad. And, I wish that 2017 is a year filled with new adventures and stories and tales to add to next year’s tree.
Thanks ~ one of my favorite moments is staring at our tree and being reminded of each ornament’s significance and often the person who gifted the ornament to us. This season holds so many different memories and emotions for all of us. Let me take this opportunity to wish for you and Matt and all your employees, clients, friends and relatives peace of heart ~ and a memory that brings a smile even tho there might be a faint tear.
[…] One of my favorites is the glass blown wave ornament that led us to our trip to Maho Bay. […]