A CHRISTMAS TRADITION THAT WON’T CRACK
Ornament has hung front and centre for 60 years
In late October of 1957, at age 5, I emigrated from London, England, by ocean liner. The trip took eight days and I expect my mother was nearly mad with fear for our safety on the journey. My father had come by plane a month earlier to find a job and a place for us to live, and he travelled from Toronto to Montreal to meet us when we docked.
Going to a new school — Melody Road Public School in Toronto — was daunting. Weeks after starting, each pupil in our kindergarten class made a Christmas ornament by gently piercing a raw egg at each end and blowing out the contents. We painted our egg, rolled it in icing sugar and created a hook with a pipe cleaner. For the last 60 years, my Christmas egg ornament has been front and centre on my family’s Christmas tree.
It is an annual reminder of the importance of our actions in life. We never know how our actions and deeds will impact someone. A caring teacher’s Christmas effort made a lasting impression on a little girl, and I am forever grateful. Jean Kerins, Toronto Small wonders is an occasional series where Star readers share stories of a special holiday ornament.