Let's Decorate the Christmas Tree

The tree went up yesterday. It is over twenty-five years old and surviving gamely. We thank Sears. Granted, it takes a little longer each year to persuade the branches to look tree-like, but then it’s harder each year to make the parts of my body work. I sympathize.

Skip wove the small coloured lights we like through the branches and garlanded the tree in gold and silver. Around the base he wrapped the tree skirt that we have had for over thirty years, a cheap white skirt with stamped pictures; sometimes it’s about the tradition.

The cardboard box with all the balls and inexpensive decorations sits nearby. Today I will pull out the numerous smaller boxes in which I pack our more unusual and expensive ornaments. During the day, we will wander out from our rooms, put up a few ornaments, and wander back in, Skip to play WoW, or check gmail, or Facebook, me to write, or play adventure games, or check mail and Facebook.

I look forward every year to opening each box to see which ornament I have packed away. Old friends all of them. Once they are hung we fill in the gaps with the generic decorations from our local grocery store. As they are all gold, or frosted red, they create a pretty background for the more unique ornaments.

I prewrite posts in my head, often drifting off to sleep that way. I realised that almost every post this season, I start with: There is something magical about…By the time I write the post I have changed the beginning, but I want to write those words. There is something magical about every aspect of Christmas to me. Part of it is that it only happens once a year: that we see the associated items; make the eggnog and cookies; listen to the carols; remember why the season in the first place; and stop for a moment in our lives to think of others.

Peace, as my friend KC would say.