This 4 1/2 x 6 1/4 inch notecard features an image of Edward (Teddy) Mhor Dove holding a small evergreen branch from which is suspended a colorful Christmas ornament.  Teddy’s story is on the back of the card.  According to the artist, “Edward (Teddy) Mhor Dove carefully climbed the creaky foldaway stairs into the attic.  After a few minutes of rummaging around, he returned with a wooden box marked ‘FRAGILE’ in bold red letters.  This was an annual holiday tradition, with the fire crackling in the hearth, and holiday music filling the air.  Teddy lifted the lid and smiled.  Inside were ornaments for the tree.  Not perfect, mass market ornaments he bought from the store.  No, these were weathered hand-me-downs and heirlooms from his family.  But in their own way, they were also perfect.  One, a delicate ceramic Highland sheep brought to North America from Scotland in a rucksack by his grandfather.  Another, a little metal car that, as a child, his father patiently waited for four years until raw materials were available to craft it.  And the bejewelled salty-dough handprint decoration made by his brother.  All wonderful reminders – visual stories – of his history.  And of the struggles and choices and successes and missteps of others that brought him to this place and moment.  He was grateful for every one of them.   

As he hung each ornament on its bough, he realized that traditions aren’t about comfort zones but, rather, the opposite.  Traditions are the past reaching into the present, to offer comfort but also to empower, inspire, and spur us on into our own bold future.”

The inside of the card is blank.