Willow Tree Woes

Right after I became a mother more than 7 years ago, my mother-in-law sent me a gift that started a collection for me. She sent me my first Willow Tree:

Well, now that beautiful figurine looks like this:

How sad is that to see a mother and father looking down at empty arms where once a baby had lain?

If you think that's sad, prepare yourself for a cry fest. Because one fateful day last week, I walked into the family room, opened the windows and turned around to leave. All of a sudden a huge "BOOM!" I turned around to see that where once a shelf had hung:

Were now just four holes, and the contents of that shelf were all over the place:

Heads were scattered everywhere, limbs were missing, and bodies were massacred all over the floor.

Now I realize they don't have faces...but they are supposed to have heads, right?

Carcasses galore.

Even some wedding gifts were broken in pieces:

As I was cleaning up the mess I was remembering when and why I got each beautiful Willow Tree. My first mother's day, a birthday, after the birth of my second son, upon finding out our 4th baby was a girl....the memories all came flooding back.

And you know what? I realized something important. My Willow Tree's might be broken and gone, but my family and fond memories remain happy and intact. And I would MUCH rather have broken "stuff" than a broken family.

A great lesson on a what could have been a depressing day :)