We decorated our Christmas tree last evening. It’s down to my husband and me for many holidays now. We played our Christmas music just like all previous years. Jeff brought the totes up from the basement. We opened up the boxes inside where our ornaments are neatly wrapped with tissue paper. Slowly we began to unwrap each one.
There are many people whom we’ve loved and still love represented by those ornaments: our granddaughter’s dough handprint – she’s growing up so fast already, her smiling little face in a picture on a popsicle stick frame, a wire angel our daughter made as a young girl, and a pinecone tree crafted by our son as a little boy, among others they made when I was trying to teach them how to “give” at a young age. Many are from friends and relatives, both past and present.
Near the top are all of our memory ornaments: the peace cross for my husband’s late father, the silver glitter butterfly my grandma gave me many years ago, which is barely holding its shape now. In the center is an empty chair with a poem about heaven in memory of my dad, my mom’s antique Christmas tree candleholders that she treasured from her childhood, and several special ornaments from their tree as I was growing up.
I told my husband that it’s strange how we’ve gone from the joy and excitement as we decorated the tree with little ones running around to now he and I decorating with bittersweet memories.
We decorated our Christmas tree last evening. It’s down to my husband and me for many holidays now. We played our Christmas music just like all previous years. Jeff brought the totes up from the basement. We opened up the boxes inside where our ornaments are neatly wrapped with tissue paper. Slowly we began to unwrap each one.
There are many people whom we’ve loved and still love represented by those ornaments: our granddaughter’s dough handprint – she’s growing up so fast already, her smiling little face in a picture on a popsicle stick frame, a wire angel our daughter made as a young girl, and a pinecone tree crafted by our son as a little boy, among others they made when I was trying to teach them how to “give” at a young age. Many are from friends and relatives, both past and present.
Near the top are all of our memory ornaments: the peace cross for my husband’s late father, the silver glitter butterfly my grandma gave me many years ago, which is barely holding its shape now. In the center is an empty chair with a poem about heaven in memory of my dad, my mom’s antique Christmas tree candleholders that she treasured from her childhood, and several special ornaments from their tree as I was growing up.
I told my husband that it’s strange how we’ve gone from the joy and excitement as we decorated the tree with little ones running around to now he and I decorating with bittersweet memories.
At the very top of the tree is a lighted star. It reminds me of a star placed in the sky thousands of years ago by our heavenly Father that guided people to the One who brings hope – Jesus. It shines above all of our ornaments and bittersweet memories to bring us hope in the present and also for the future. I’d say that’s a reason to rejoice and give thanks throughout this entire holiday season.
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