15 Christmas Stockings

Not long after we got married 43 years ago, Marlene started making Christmas stockings for each member of our family. First it was just the two of us. Then the boys came along–three more stockings. Years later they got married–three more stockings. Then the seven grandchildren joined our family–first Knox seven years ago all the way down the line to Joshua who was born in October.

Marlene started working on Joshua’s stocking months before he was born. She carried it with her on our summer travels to New York, Wisconsin and New Jersey. I saw her working on the stocking everywhere we went. A few days ago she stitched Joshua’s name and then added the backing and the loop at the top.

Today 15 stockings hang on our mantel.

Though it involved thousands of hours of careful stitching, Marlene would say it was a labor of love. To me it is the work of a lifetime.