O Christmas Tree

We put up our Christmas decorations today. While our tree certainly win any awards in a design magazine, it is a tree full of memories for me. When Bernie and I were first married, we had a hand-me-down tree from his parents and the ornaments that went with it. It was a "Charlie Brown" type tree but it was the best we had and it was kind of them to give it to us. Over the years, we have made the tree our own. A couple years back we even bought our very own artificial tree that looks somewhat more tree-like.

It is the ornaments that truely make it ours, however. There are still a few choice ornaments from Bernie's family - they are part of his history and now our children's history. The majority, however, tell the story of our life together. There are ones that I have made, ones that I have bought or have been given showing each year we have been together. There are the baby's 1st Christmas ornaments from 2001 and 2002 when David and Isaac were born. And perhaps most special of all, the ornaments which they have made and hung themselves with such pride. Topping it off is a beautiful angel that my sister gave me. I look at our tree and I can't help but smile.

It is night now and the lights are glowing. While I know that Jesus's birth was almost certainly not in the middle of winter, I'm glad that the powers that were decided that was when we would celebrate. There is something so symbolic about the light coming into the darkness. In these shortest days of the year for us in the northern hemisphere, the light is so welcome and beautiful. Just like Jesus coming to bring light into our world, we welcome the celebration.