Tree Treasure No. 19: Alcatraz, History And Time With My Mom

This beautiful metal ornament is one of Dave’s favorite styles. He loves the detail, the craftsmanship, the weight of it. And this one carries a memory that means more to me than I probably realized at the time.

We bought this ornament after a trip to Alcatraz Island in 2004, when we took my mom with us. Growing up in the Bay Area, it’s funny to think how little we actually visited Alcatraz. It was never exactly an easy outing; lots of walking, steep steps, narrow corridors and definitely not a place you take little kids. So we waited until our kids were teenagers, old enough to really take in the history.

Alcatraz opened as a federal prison in 1934 and once held some of the most notorious inmates in American history, including Al Capone. Isolated by strong currents and icy water, it was designed to be inescapable. Standing inside those cells, hearing the stories through the audio tour, you can’t help but feel the weight of it all; the loneliness, the silence, the lives lived behind locked doors.

Getting around the island was not easy for my mom. But she wanted to be there. And we took our time. Those kinds of moments feel different looking back now.

Trips with my mom during my adult life were rare, and that makes this one even more special. She passed away in 2011, and every Christmas when this ornament goes on the tree, I’m taken right back to that day; walking together, listening together, sharing an experience that felt important without knowing why.

This ornament isn’t just San Francisco or Alcatraz or a vacation memory. It’s a reminder of my mom in my grown-up years. Of making space for time together. Of choosing the trip, even when it’s hard.

Some ornaments hold places. Some hold people. This one holds both.

If you enjoy nostalgic holiday stories, I’m also sharing my Christmas memories in a new series called Christmas Stories Throughout the Years.