my husband Charles Not known to us, this was to be our last Christmas. Would we have done anything differently? I think not. We celebrated Christmas with all the bells and whistles, shiny ornaments on the tree, lots of them homemade by family; many were gifts from my students over the years. Tons of gifts stacked beneath the tree for all our loved ones. Of course, the genuine celebration of Christmas began with Christmas Eve Mass. When Charles and I were much younger, the children and I went to midnight Mass. But as the years flew by, my energy didn’t last long enough for that. Beginning with the new millennium, our Christmas started with opening gifts on Christmas Eve, then our going to 5:30 p.m. Mass. From there, our children and their families headed for home. I hope that I’m not seeming maudlin sharing this, but it seems that no matter how much time has passed since my husband died, that warm memories of our special times together creep to the forefront of my brai