December Daily-December 5, 2008
A few years ago my daughter's started dancing. Ten years ago actually. They are cloggers. They are really good. Well, tonight was the annual performance at the Festival of Trees. Both girls danced a few of their routines. This is the first performance of a new season. The fun Christmas music gets the holiday mood off to a good start.
Festival of Trees is a charity to raise money for Primary Children's Hospital, where no child will be turned away because of inability to pay.
During the time that my daughter's have been dancing, my sweet cousin Ronette had a little baby, Tanner. He was born with a heart condition and required a lot of care. He was given that care at Primary Children's Hospital. When Tanner was two months old he was rushed again to Primary Children's Hospital, this time he didn't get to come home with Ronette. 
Since Baby Tanner's death Ronette and her family have donated a wreath to the Festival of Tree's in honor of Baby Tanner. Every year when my girls are getting ready to dance we go and find Baby Tanner's wreath. As we walk around looking at all the donated wreaths, Christmas trees and gingerbread houses we notice the pictures. Pictures of people that I don't know. Pictures of people that have most often not survived their illness. Pictures of babies, grandma's, grandpa's, aunts, uncles, sons and daughters, moms and dads. Pictures of real people. Pictures of people that other people love, pictures of people that they miss everyday in their lives. As we walk around I can feel the spirits of these people. For me, the Festival of Trees is rather difficult. I try to look at the beautiful trees and wreaths. However, I keep looking at the pictures. Pictures of real people that have struggled with illness. Many of whom have passed on. It makes me sad. Then I look again at the beautiful creations that are donated by these families--In Honor of their loved ones. They do this because they want to celebrate their loved ones lives. So as I walk away from Baby Tanner's wreath I hope that the person that hangs it on their door will know that he was loved and he is still loved today and his parent's, siblings and family celebrate his short little life by donating to a hospital that tried desperately to keep him with his family.
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