A memorable Christmas Eve
In the countdown to the holidays, the Star is sharing readers’ stories of their favourite holiday baubles. Today: Kristine Thompson on the ornament that led to her 47-year marriage.
On Christmas Eve, 1968, my boyfriend, Ivor, had set up a series of clues to lead me to my Christmas gift. I followed each hidden clue, from the trunk of my mother’s car, to a metal strongbox and finally to a Christmas ornament hanging on my family’s tree. It was a delicate pink and gold bauble.
I admired its beauty and took it down to look for the clue rolled up on a small piece of paper inside. The message on the paper was “Will you marry me?” Thus, on Christmas Eve, we were engaged and were married the following June.
The ornament shows its age, as do we, but it is still a reminder of that very special Christmas Eve 47 years ago.
Reporter’s note: When a Star reporter arrived to photograph Kristine’s ornament, it slipped from her hands and shattered. “Somehow it made for a memorable end of the ornament,” she said. “I hope it doesn’t mean the memorable end of the marriage, but we’ve lasted this long! We have a picture to remember it and this story.” Kristine Thompson and her husband, Ivor, are retired and live downtown. What’s your favourite ornament? We want to share your story with readers in the Toronto Star, thestar.com and on Star Touch. Email life@thestar.ca and include the word ornaments in the subject line. Or write to: Toronto Star, Life Department (ornaments), One Yonge St., Toronto, ON, M5E 1E6.