The Loss of a Loved One

We love snowmen in out house.  Well, not the real wet kind of snowmen and not in the house.  Although there are more than a gaggle of snowmen in the entry hall and probably a few hundred on the Christmas tree, but a few hundred out of a few thousand ornaments is not that many.

Our family love of Snowmen can be tracked back to Dec.  6, 2003 when Carter had her snow princess fifth birthday party.  Russ and I found a twelve-foot tall inflatable snowman that greeted Carter’s princess guests as they came to the house.  The snowman became quite popular in our neighborhood and somehow I was now a person who displayed an inflatable.

Since the snowman was holiday appropriate we left him up that season until Christmas was over.  The next year came and people, especially those with little children asked us where our snowman was.  So Russ would go to the attic and drag down the box.  Each year more and more people would know us as the house with the snowman.  Somehow it was OK with me since it was twelve feet tall and if you are going to have an inflatable it better be just one giant one.

Each year Russ and Carter would have to make some repair to what was bought as one time use item.  The base broke apart, but they fashioned a new one out of wood and tie wraps, a hole would open up, but a small bit of duct tape would take care of that, a light would blow out, but new snowman appropriate light bulbs were available at Home Depot.  Sometimes the snowman would go down and Russ would announce it might be the end of our beloved.  Last year some young hooligans actually set a firecracker off at the base of the snowman, but he survived.

This year on Margaret Jones Honorary Luminary day as I was setting out my 75 white luminary bags I noticed the sun was shinning on the snowman in the most beautiful way.  I took a picture of the front lawn with the bags and the snowman thinking about the changes that the snowman has seen in the last ten years.

Little did I know that luminary day was going to be the last one for our wonderful giant friend.  After a decade of service the fan motor that keeps the snowman up gave way.  He lay deflated in a crumpled wad of nylon on the bare grass.

You never know when it will be time to say goodbye to a family member, even one that is just full of hot air.  I’m glad I got that last picture.  Russ seemed to take it the hardest.  He came right in the house after the no resuscitation diagnosis and got on the Internet looking for a new snowman.  I quickly vetoed paying $400 for a 26-foot model.  He found a new one and ordered it even though it probably won’t come until after New Years.  I guess we are destined to be known as the house with the snowman.