GREENFIELD, Ind. — It's the most beautiful time of the year. In Greenfield, Christmas trees with sparkling lights are not hard to find.
However, there is one tree that somehow seems to shine a bit brighter than the rest at 977 Cortland Ct.
"Jeff's favorite holiday is Thanksgiving and Christmas," Patricia Doughty said.
These two holidays can bring a lot of joy and a lot of pain to people.
"Really all you do is wish Jeff was here with us," Doughty said.
Patricia Doughty's son, Jeff Herald, was fatally shot in Indianapolis almost two years ago.
The 42-year-old was a father of four.
"Jeff is someone... just his laugh. You could have the worst day of your life and just talk with him, and he could have you forgetting your worries your troubles," said Rachel Herald, his sister.
These are troubles that are supposed to disappear during the holiday season, but for some families like Jeff's, the burden seems heavier.
"He didn't deserve that. No one deserves to be done like that. Like I said, the people that did it destroyed all of us," Doughty said.
The lights on the tree glowed bright, but they left a lot of room on the branches for decorations.
Jeff's family is hoping people experiencing the same kind of heartache will help them decorate the tree by tying a ribbon or placing an ornament on it with their loved one's name on it.
"When you're a parent, you feel like you're all alone. You don't realize there are other mothers and fathers going through the same thing. Getting to see people do that, you realize you're not all alone," Doughty said. "Hopefully, they can feel love and know their thought about. Hopefully, it can bring some joy to their days, and a reminder to keep moving forward and enjoy the holidays."
It's an emotion that is bittersweet for this family.
"We should be doing this for fun — not for death — because a loved one is gone or anybody else's loved one is gone," Doughty said.
They hope to remember and celebrate their loved ones with every ribbon and ornament on the tree.
The family lives at 977 Cortland Court in Greenfield. They have markers and ribbons on a table near the tree.
For more information on the celebration of life, click here.