My mom came to visit at the end of November. It was a dual-celebration...Thanksgiving and a pre-Christmas shindig. To make it feel like Christmas from the get-go, we put up our tree in mid-November, and though it felt a little early at the time, that tree has been a cornerstone of the season. There's something about it, despite the fact it's fake. It's almost 10' tall, it's just the right circumference...not enormous, but not too skinny, and it's so real-looking that people lean in and smell it just to be sure. We plug it in first thing in the morning as we drink our coffee, and the minute the sun starts to set, we plug it in again. The cats have found the base to be to coziest home ever, the kids stare at the ornaments with a refreshed wonder every day, and my wife and I get lost just looking at the lights....it's as though they block out the worries, and take us away to a place where everything is OK.
We're having some friends over for a delayed holiday celebration this coming Tuesday and they asked if we'd keep our tree up for the event. It wasn't hard to say yes. What will be hard is taking it down afterwards. Like I mentioned in the post on New Years, this past year took it's toll, and though we've been blessed beyond description in so many ways, we're still entering 2010 somewhat weary from battle. This tree has been our mental respite, and more than ever, the magic of a Christmas tree, has carried us through the season.
It is said thatMartin Luther cut a fir tree from his garden one wintry evening and placed it in the nursery of his home for his wife and children. He wanted them to envision the snowy dark beauty of the night of Jesus' birth, and he decorated the tree with lighted candles to represent the stars in the sky.
To this day, those lights still mesmerize...and I'm grateful. Though it's already January 2nd, let me wish you and yours, one more time, a most wonderful New Year.
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