When I look at my Christmas tree, I see a life time of memories. Some people have fashionable trees, with the latest style, of big glass balls, flowers and ribbons, but not me. I know to many people my tree is tacky, gaudy even, but when I look at it I see my family growing up. I see how far we've come. Every year with my family it is a walk down memory lane as we put up the Christmas tree.
Our first Christmas in our own home was back in 1993 We only had 2 ornaments to start out with, My oldest daughters Baby’s First Christmas ornament and one she received for her second Christmas, a Santa in a hot air balloon that rotated when it was plugged into the light set. We had to start pretty much from scratch, so we bought a big set of wooden soldiers. There were about 100 of them in a whole bunch of different poses. We also got an angel to go on top of the tree and a few red and gold balls.
That first year my next door neighbour came over with a Christmas ornament for my oldest daughter. She told me, “ I’ll give her one every year and then when she gets married she’ll have her own set to start out with.". She did and carried on the tradition with my other two children as well. I thought it was a lovely tradition and so my mother in-law and I started adding to the children's collections as well. Now when it comes time to deck the tree each of my three children has their own box of ornaments. Each ornament has a memory. We remember which ones came from our neighbour Marjory, which ones came from Meme, which came from me and which came from friends.
The kids have added to their own collections as well. There are the hand made ornaments, like the star my son made in beavers when he was 6.. he’s 15 now! Each ornament speaks to me tell of a child that was, the sparkly ballerina that my oldest wanted to be at age 6. The figure skate from her years at the rink. The hand coloured ones that my middle child made with her best child hood friend, the Cat in the Hat that was so popular one year, the Bob the Builder who that long ago 4 year old boy worshipped and there are the beeswax ornaments that our old babysitter Daneille made for us many years ago.
Even the ones that I bought for myself tell me stories. The sparkly glass ornaments and tear drops that reminded me of the trees from my childhood. The plastic gold balls that I got when the kids were tree wrecking toddlers. The bells that Sam liked to tie to the poor cats tails and of course those steadfast wooden soldiers. The ranks of those soldiers have thinned over the years. Like remembrance day services, each year there are fewer and fewer of them. Mine have fallen victim to marauding children, cats and time, but a few still soldier on.
Now my tree is beginning to be populated by a new ornament. The ones that I get each year in case.. , in case this year my oldest comes and says, "Mom, I’m going to put up my own tree at my house this year” and she takes her box and my tree will look empty. A few years later each child will take his or her box and go to a new tree.. so each year I add a few ball and bulbs, just in case, and try not to think sad thoughts for the future, but I can’t help but get a little teary when I look at all those ornaments that speak of those long ago babies and toddlers, princesses and little boys and see the beautiful adults they are becoming.
My Christmas tree tells the story of my family, my life, my adult hood. It whispers to me like the spirits that haunted Scrooge, of what was past and what is still to come. I remember the advent tree decorating parties with those wide eyed babes. Now we have the boyfriend girlfriend tree decorating parties and for a while we may have some empty nest tree decking parties where we can keep company with other lonely like minded folks. Someday I hope there will be the grand children parties but I know what ever will be, it the memories will live in my heart forever.
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