The Box
Richard Paul Evans himself has said that life begins in a box called a bassinet and ends in a box called a coffin. This box represents the love that Mary has boxed up for Andrea. All of those letters were written to a child who has passed. She boxed up those emotions and feelings creating a cold woman protecting herself. Once Richard and Keri open the box, the feelings emerge. When Richard realizes they were written to a child, he understands the lessons Mary was trying to teach throughout their time with her.
Christmas
Christmas is a time when everyone is busy, but supposedly at their best. The tree, the star Jenna made, and the Box all represent images that usually bring people happiness but have deeper meanings in the story. The tree was the first time Mary pushed Richard to do something with his family that he was "too busy" to take time off to do. The star was Jenna gift to Mary and the last one she would receive. The Box reminds us of the first gift of Christmas.
The man who wanted to buy his son a tuxedo
As Richard is advising the man to buy a larger size for his son to grow into the tuxedo, the man tells us that he is going to bury his son in the tuxedo he is buying. Bad things happen to good people, time moves on and Richard realizes at that moment we are never promised tomorrow. He is missing out on many of the experiences that people take for granted. This tuxedo reminds Richard to slow down.
Angel Andrea
The dream of Andrea disturbs Richard. He doesn't know why the angel is calling his name. Angels are prevalent at Christmas. This symbol only begins to matter when he realizes who the angel is. When he finds out that Andrea died in the home, he knows what Mary was trying to teach him.
