Christmas is over and a new year is about to begin. About this time (December 31) I usually start gathering up the Christmas decorations. I try to put them all in one place as much as possible in preparation for returning them to storage. As I look at our Christmas tree and other decorations, I see a collection of memories more than anything else.
Christmas Past
I look in holiday magazines and see perfectly trimmed, color-coordinated, Christmas trees. Growing up, we never had that type of tree. We always had a real, needle dropping, dry but green tree decorated with various ornaments collected by our parents. Mostly ornaments from Germany, some childhood hand-made I’m sure, and tinsel, lots and lots of tinsel. I think Daddy liked the tinsel most of all. We had to put it on one strand at a time.
When my girls were little, or even as teenagers, decorating the tree and house was always my favorite time of the season. Now, my girls have homes of their own. I passed along the Christmas ornaments belonging to my girls collected while they were growing up.
Decorating our tree this year, I took a little more time to look at and remember the special ornaments and decor.
When I first started my teaching career, we (my fellow newbie and I) relied on our dear friends in the English department to help us through those early days (and even later days) of teaching. Several ornaments hanging on my tree and several items placed at various places in the house are all ones that these sweet ladies gave to me during our time together. Even now, when time allows and we get together before Christmas, they always have a little ornament, decoration, or Christmas piece to pass along. I cherish these items and love the ladies who gave them.
Ornaments
Then there are my childhood ornaments that I love. They are worn and tarnished, but they still remind me of the good days at home leading up to Christmas and decorating the tree. The icicle, the blue teardrop, and the beautiful angel. I think these all came from Germany, but I cannot be sure.
When I was 18, I spent a year in Germany with my brother and his family. Some of the ornaments on my tree are those small, sweet pieces I bought when I was there with them all those years ago.
Ornaments also reflect our love and support of the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Clemson Tigers via the family and friend connection at both places.
I bought three angels for us representing hope, peace, and love. Each of the girls have one, and I kept mine. The little angel from Dad and Jeannie that I received when Jenni was a baby and Granny (Jeannie) had our names engraved on them. Catherine got one, too, after she was born. There is the beautiful teardrop ornament that Catherine gave me as a little girl. The newest addition is the sweet hand print of our newest grandson when he was only 3 months old last Christmas. There are seasonal remembrances such as the Feliz Navidad 2015 when we took a dream vacation to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico leaving on Christmas day.
Squirrels, our family spirit animal, adorn all of our trees.
Imperfect Perfection
No, my tree and house are not the picture perfect matching color extravaganza found in the holiday magazines. My tree is the picture perfect precious memories version of our life and history. The beautiful unmatching assembly of ornaments representing so many different times in my life is what I love to remember.
I hope that along the way, as the girls were growing up, I created a sense of wonder and appreciation for the memories associated with each ornament they have from childhood. Now as they collect as adults, they make memories of their own.
Another Christmas is in the books, and we celebrated a wonderful holiday season. I hope you all had a lovely Christmas. May you have a very Happy New Year!