Title: Christmas Tradition

It started the year Darry was four and Soda was only a few months old. Mrs. Curtis was home alone with the two boys which wasn't unusual, but on this day, Soda had an ear infection and Darry was getting bored after being stuck inside the house all week due to bad weather. She didn't blame Darry for wanting to have something to do after all, he was only four and like most four-year-olds, he liked to play and help his parents around the house.

"Mama, I want to help," Darry said, tigging on Mrs. Curtis's skirt.

Mrs. Curtis smiled down at her older son as she cradled a fussy Sodapop in her arms. "I think you better let me handle this, sweetie. Your brother has an ear infection and it's hard to get the ear drops in his ears with all the wiggling that he does."

"I can take medicine," Darry told her. "I'm a big boy."

"Yes you are," Mrs. Curtis agreed. "Let me put Soda in his crib and I'll see if I can find something for you to do."

While Mrs. Curtis was putting Soda into the crib, Darry wandered into the living room where the Christmas tree was set up and decorated. He liked to look at all the red and gold balls that hung from the branches. However, he did not like that he was still too little to help decorate the tree. While his parents were decorating the tree, Darry was playing with his blocks next to Soda who was sleeping.

"These ornaments can break very easily," Mr. Curtis had said when Darry asked if he could help. "Maybe when you're older."

Darry hated it when when he was told he couldn't do something until he was older. Even at four, he liked to feel useful. He was a big brother. There were lots of things he could do that Soda couldn't. But it seemed like everyone thought he was too little to do anything.

"You like looking at the ornaments, don't you?" Mrs. Curtis asked as she joined her older son. She knelt down beside him and put her arm around his shoulders. "I like them, too."

"Daddy says they break," Darry said.

"Yes, the ornaments do break," Mrs. Curtis told him. Then she had an idea. "How would you like to make your own ornament for the tree?"

"My own ornament?" Darry asked.

"That's right," Mrs. Curtis said. "I have extra bits of yarn and fabric that you can use."

"And it won't break?" Darry asked. He was starting to like this idea.

Mrs. Curtis nodded. "And you can hang it on the tree when it's done."

"Mama, I want to make an angel," Darry said, excited that he was finally going to be able to put something on the tree.

"That's a good idea," Mrs. Curtis told him with a smile. "We could use another angel on the tree."

Darry made his angel ornament out of pieces of fabric and yarn that he glued together. When he hung it on the tree, his face glowed with pride because it was something he had made himself. He admired his ornament as it hung from the branch and when Mr. Curtis got home from work, he showed it to him.

"I made an ornament, daddy," Darry said as he pulled Mr. Curtis to the tree. He pointed at his angel that smiled at them with it's red yarn smile.

"Well, it looks like you got to help decorate the tree after all," Mr. Curtis said with a smile.

Every year after that, Darry made an ornament for the tree. WHen they were old enough, Sodapop and Ponyboy made ornaments for the tree, too. And some years, there were extra ones because they would make ornaments in art class at school. It was one thing that all the of them enjoyed doing, although Ponyboy seemed to enjoy it the most. By the time Darry was out of high school, there weren't many red and gold balls left, but there were still all of the ornaments that he and his brothers had made and there was still more to be added.

"Do you remember when you made this?" Mrs. Curtis asked Darry when he nineteen. She held up the angel he had made when he was four.

"Yeah, I remember," Darry replied with a small grin. "I also remember Soda's first ornament. I'm surprised there's still glitter on it."

Mrs. Curtis laughed as she found Soda's gold bell that had tiny handfuls of glitter dropped on it. She then took out Ponyboy's first ornament which was an angel, but unlike Darry's, Pony had wrapped a piece of white fabric around a clothes pin and attached pipe cleaner wings and a halo. "You three have always enjoyed making these ornaments."

"Yes, it's fun," Ponyboy said as he held up a newly completed ornament. "And it makes the tree more special."

"It does," Darry agrees as he huuged his mom and kissed her cheek.

Darry and Ponyboy both continued the tradition with their own children, wishing that Soda could have done the same. Their kids enjoyed making their own ornaments as much as they did. And neither Darry or Ponyboy had to worry about buying ornaments from the store. They just had to replace the lights every few years.

In early December 2007, Darry stopped by his daughter Beth's house for a visit. He had told her that he would put Christmas lights up along the roof of the house. When he stepped inside the front door, his two grandchildren ran up to him.

"Grandpa, comesee what we're doing," Hannah said. The two kids led him to the kitchen where various craft supplies were laid out.

"Well, it looks like you two have been busy," Darry commented as he picked up Alexis.

"We're making ornaments for the tree," Hannah told him. "I'm making Rudolph."

"I made a snowman," Alexis said. "Isn't he cute?"

Darry looked at the paper snowman with cotton balls glued on him except for the crooked smiley face that was drawn on with red and purple crayons. "Good job, Alexis."

"They were asking when they could make ornaments all week," Beth said as she joined them.

"Pony's grandchildren are making ornaments, too," Darry said. "Well, Jacob is still too little, but he'll be making them in a few years."

"When you were a kid, did you think you'd see your grandchildren carrying on the tradition?" Beth asked.

"No," Darry admitted. "But it's nice to see the tradition continue."

He looked at Hannah and Alexis who were busy with their ornaments. As he watched them, he could almost see himself and his brothers when they used to make their ornaments. Darry and Ponyboy each had half of the ornaments that were made during their childhood. On his tree at home, Darry had a special spot for that angel he made when he was four. He always hung her front and center so that everyone would be able to see her.