By Shelley Bennett
Does your Christmas tree have a theme and color scheme? Or is it a mash-up of homemade ornaments, treasures you’ve collected from Craft Fairs, and Hallmark exclusives? While I much admire the pictures of colored perfection, I definitely fall into the category of anything goes when it comes to our tree.
Therefore, you will find orange and black SF Giants ornaments hanging among Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz and various snowmen. Handmade photo frames containing the faces of 1st grade Jake, Landon, and Sofia mixed with Boba Fett and a basketball playing Santa.
Some of the ornaments represent important life events: Landon’s First Christmas, our 25th Anniversary, and important pets who walked through our lives. I always get a little teary when I hang Sassy’s ornament on the tree.
Sassy was our first child. A sweet black lab who was loved by all. During her first Christmas season, she knocked the tree over at least twice and broke a crystal bowl filled with vintage glittery ornaments. It was one of my first lessons to sweep up the mess and move on. I still remember the guilty look on her face when I walked in the door after work.
A collection of Eskimos with various arctic animals (aka “Frosty Friends”) are some of my favorites on the tree. This collection was started in 1980 when my mom purchased the first one at our local Hallmark store.
How many of you remember lining up at Hallmark on the day after Christmas to get the best deals on ornaments and wrapping paper? My brother and I were trained with what to look for and since we were shorter and had smaller hands, we could reach in between shoppers and pick the coveted items.
This year the kids put the Christmas tree up while Leo and I were shopping. They got tired about halfway into decorating, so I added some finishing touches this morning. It was a little crooked, but Landon straightened it out. A string of lights have died in the middle of the tree and some of the branches are really full on one side and not so much on the other, but it is absolutely perfect. It represents our family, lives, and memories.
I hope you have lots of mornings admiring your tree with a cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa this holiday season. Take some time to remember the stories your ornaments and decorations tell and make some new ones. Merry Christmas to all!
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