This star mysteriously disappeared a couple of Sundays ago. I always hang it right beside our front door. That way I can give it a quick squeeze anytime I walk by. Of course, small children who come to visit can do the same thing. (You can make it sing by clicking here.)

Imagine my surprise when I discovered the star was missing after a houseful of guests went home recently. I eventually found it on the top shelf of a bookcase. High, on the bookcase. Evidently, someone (Jared!) did not appreciate the Christmas spirit of ten small children.

Actually, most members of our family wish this battery had died years ago. But I’m especially glad it is still singing this year. My mother-in-law crocheted this star in the late eighties shortly after she and my father-in-law moved their double-wide trailer into our backyard. It was the beginning of our decade of sharing a driveway, a mailbox, and the details of our daily lives.

It wasn’t always fun.

But it was precious.

I know that now, though I didn’t always appreciate it then. My father-in-law died almost a dozen years ago, and my mother-in-law went to glory this fall. So, I’m especially grateful the star is still playing this year. Every time I hear it, I remember those years together.

Just the good parts.

That’s what an heirloom can do for you.

Cue the music.