Happy…glistening white of a snow covered mountain, feeling warm in a new coat on a cold winter day, sipping a warm drink and nibbling delicious yummies in the afternoon…day to you.
So enjoyable to experience these happy beats… let’s notice.
Merry Christmas!
MEMORY TREE AT CHRISTMAS
Dear ‘LifeBeats’ friends,
This week I’ll tell you of the Memory Tree at Christmas. You’ll understand why I call it Memory Tree after I tell you the story. Wilton, my husband, and I bought live Christmas trees during the first years of our marriage, even cutting one down from the Colorado mountains, until something happened.
We enjoyed decorating the yearly tree and loved the scent of Pine when we walked into the room. Each year we had the same routine of buy the tree, decorate using colored lights, tinsel, ornaments of various sizes and always bought a new ornament to celebrate the year. We also put up two stockings over the fireplace to fill with goodies. I fixed a turkey dinner, stuff ourselves with dressing, green bean casserole, cranberry salad, rolls, pumpkin and pecan pies. (I’m sorry if I made you hungry.) After Christmas we’d carefully take down the decorations and put them into the attic. Then Wilton took the drying tree to the corner for trash removal.
I always tried to keep the dry needles out of the carpet vacuuming carefully but, to my dismay, I sometimes found them weeks later when I walked across the floor in my socks and felt the prick of a sharp needle in my tender feet. We did this routine for a few years but had to do something different with the birth of our baby girl.
Our son, Bradley, was born and three and a half years later along came Debby*. We had our usual routine of buy and decorate the tree, put up now four stockings over the fireplace, turkey dinner, stuff ourselves with goodies and after Christmas carefully put it all away in the attic. Hubby would then take the dry tree out to the corner. I, of course, tried to pick up loose needles especially since my precious baby was starting to crawl.
It was in the summer when I noticed Debby sitting on the floor trying to put something in her mouth and couldn’t swallow it. I rushed over to her and looked into her mouth. She had somehow found dry Christmas tree needles in the carpet; the same carpet that had been vacuumed for months before! I, of course, carefully removed them from her mouth and throughly inspected the fibers of the rug for any more.
After that time, I determined, no live trees to be bought from now on! We had to buy artificial ones that didn’t dry and leave their needles in the carpet. That was too close of a call. So, at Christmas time, we were off to look for an artificial one that looked real. We found a six foot Pine that had to be assembled. As usual, my capable husband assembled our not as nice, but safe new endeavor.
During Christmas time, I tried to make enjoyable memories for my family. I always made a recipe of yummy boiled custard passed down from my husband’s grand mother and fixed assorted cookies. I wanted their Christmas experience to be different than mine as a child. We always opened one gift every Christmas Eve and read Christmas stories. I wanted them to know about Jesus and the wonderful reason we celebrate His birth each year.
While the children and Wilton decorated the tree with colored lights, tinsel, different size ornaments plus also decorations they made in school, I made the custard. The creamy custard and chocolate chip cookies became Santa’s treat for delivering the longed for presents. They were always gone the next morning with a grinning husband testifying they were good.
We did this every year until the tree started to lose the ability to hold the branches. So, once again, we were off to find another one. By this time, the children were grown and I thought, We don’t need such a large tree. So we down sized to a four foot table model from the six foot version. As with any down sizing, we had decorations, home made and bought, of many years. We, (or rather I ), began the task of what to discard and what to keep.
I found myself saying to my husband as I looked at the assembled ornaments, “Oh hon, we can’t get rid of these! They are the ones the kids made in school. They are so adorable! I love them!” Holding up another, “Remember when I got this one? It is the one I bought with my sister! We both bought the same kind to give to each other as a keepsake…can’t get rid of it!”
Looking at the hand made, red silk and lace ornaments I questioned, “How can we possibly get rid of the ornaments your Mom made or the six treasures you had when you were a little boy as well as the remaining ornament that didn’t get broken when I was a little girl?… Gotta keep them!” My eyes continued to asses the others.“Look at the ones we received as presents from our friends. They are so beautiful. We can’t discard them! It would be like discarding our good times!”
“Oh look, hon, we also have the different years inscribed on some of them! We got to remember those years!” Looking up at him I said, “Do you also see the ones we bought on our trips? We can’t forget those times!” Picking up another one tenderly that showed the smiling faces of our grand children, I proclaimed, “Of course, we have to keep the ones of the pictures of the grandchildren. I’ll never get rid of them. No Way!”… I continued to stare at them and finally said,“All of these have too many memories!”
I turned my head and looked up at him and said, “I can’t get rid of most of these. They have precious times from your childhood, our children’s childhoods, our friends and family and our trips. We have to keep them!”
My practical husband said, “How are we going to put all of them on our four foot tree?” To which I said, “I will layer them! I’ll put more than one on each bough! To which he said, “And take them off every year?” To which I countered, “No! We will leave them on! We will cover the tree and put it into the room off the garage! We won’t have to take them off anymore! All we will have to do is remove the cover and carry it into the house. It will become our not only Christmas Tree but our Memory Tree! Yea!”
So, that is what we did. We now take our four foot model Memory tree out every year but still manage to buy a new ornament to celebrate the past year. (I find a place for it somewhere). It may not look as classy as the decorated trees I see in the department stores or some homes but, for me and Wilton, it’s the beautiful memories that make it classy. And, it is a reminder of the birth of the Glorious Christ Child that gave me so many memories and my REASON FOR THE SEASON and for evermore! God bless you, dear ‘LifeBeats’ this joyous time.
If you or someone you know, has had similar experiences and want to talk to someone, they can contact Dawne at 1-833-644-3600. She is a compassionate and effective professional with years of experience helping families, individuals and children. For more information click CONTACT option at top of page.
©TEXT & PHOTOGRAPHY, NEW VENTURE ARTS
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