By Linda Ibbitson Hurd
Special to the Express
Every year when it was time to get a Christmas tree my siblings and I would follow our dad across the field through the snow in back of our house and into the woods on my grandfather’s land to find that one special tree. It was always a pine tree and we all had to agree which one it would be. Dad would cut it down and we’d follow him home.
When the four of us were grown with families of our own, we continued to follow this tradition.
One summer in the ’80s there had been a drought and there were very few trees to pick from. My kids and husband Dave and I were disappointed but made the best of the situation. We decided to go to Nessralla’s Farm stand near our house to pick out a tree.
There was a beautiful full moon that night and the Farm stand was busy with people picking out wreaths and trees in a very festive atmosphere. Everyone seemed to be smiling and calling out greetings to friends and neighbors who were there. Our kids were in their teens by then and found the perfect tree and we brought it home.
As Dave and my son Brian were bringing in the tree, my daughter Heidi and I carried the box of decorations up from the cellar. Once the tree was up and Brian was putting the lights on it, I reached into the box of decorations to pull out the angel we always put on the top of the tree and noticed my wedding band was not on my hand. My heart sank and I began looking for it, thinking I may have put on my dresser.
I looked all over the dresser top and in my jewelry box, all over the room, all over the house and then all over the yard and in our truck. I looked in all my pockets and coat pockets and could not find it.
Dave and I went back up to the farmstand to see if anyone had found it and we looked all over the grounds. The Nessrallas told us if anyone found it, they would call us. We thanked them and left.
When we got home, I turned on the big outside light that shone on the backyard and Dave, the kids and I looked and looked for my ring. The dusting of snow on the ground made it harder to look and we finally went back into the house. They were very comforting to me and tried to get me to relax saying maybe it would turn up in the morning.
I sat for a while watching the kids decorate the tree and I just had to go back out and look again. I said a prayer and walked across the driveway, even moved the truck to see if it might be underneath and checked all inside it once more. I walked out into the backyard again and finally decided to go back into the house.
As I put my foot on the flagstone for what seemed like the 100th time to step into the back door something caught my eye. Some of the snow had melted on the stone making a v shape and something was shining. When I stepped closer to look down, there was my wedding ring shining in the moonlight.