"Last Christmas, I sat on the floor surrounded by wrapping paper, new toys, and happy kids, then 7 and 9. It was like being in a bubble bath with too much soap ― ribbons and bows flying as each new box was ripped open. It quickly became hard to tell what was a gift and what was trash. The previous year, our 20-month-old son, Aiden, died unexpectedly during surgery to remove a tumor from his brain."
"I pulled the first thing out of my stocking - a plastic, round button, like the kind you'd hit if you were on a game show. These are called Easy Buttons. Usually, they're bright red with white letters that spell out "Easy." They became popular in 2005 when Staples began promoting, then selling them. The idea was that you could solve your problem just by hitting this button."
"I pressed it and the room filled with sound. There were muffled voices, and I wasn't sure what I was supposed to hear. Then I heard a high-pitched squeal that turned into a laugh. The room blurred, and when I raised my head to look at Nick, gravity took the tears from my eyes and pulled them down my cheeks. It was Aiden playing with his siblings."
A family celebrates Christmas on the floor amid wrapping paper and new toys as two children, ages 7 and 9, excitedly open presents. The previous year, the couple's 20-month-old son, Aiden, died unexpectedly during surgery to remove a tumor from his brain. The mother receives a plain white "Easy Button" in her stocking and presses it at her husband's urging while the children watch. The button plays a recording with muffled voices, a high-pitched squeal, Aiden's distinctive belly laugh, and the children's voices, which floods the mother with tears. The sudden sound of Aiden laughing blends sorrow and bittersweet memory into the family's Christmas moment.
Read at BuzzFeed
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