Here is our tree for 2011. Yes, that is a garbage bag sitting under the tree stand. We still need a real tree skirt. I have tree skirt ideas stirring in my mind...time will tell if we actually get something. In the meantime, an old white bed sheet will likely be our fill-in for an actual skirt.
So, how do I really feel about the tree? Well, it has its own charm. It is quite kid-decorated and full of their sweet ornaments from past Christmas seasons. That is obvious, right? The bubble lights have a vintage charm, but they are unevenly spaced on our tree. And the tree seems to be an awkward height, neither sweetly petite nor gloriously tall.
Part of me dreams of a beautifully decorated tree. Don't get me wrong, there is beauty in this tree, but it is that "a tree only a mother could love" sorta beauty. The beauty of this tree is not readily apparent to most people. I still dream of someday having a tree that looks like it lept from a Pottery Barn catalog. A tree with a theme. A tree with fantastically gorgeous ornaments and garland and a star on top that isn't crooked.
But then again, when the day comes for a tree like that, I will miss the little hands that decorated this tree. I will miss their ornaments that will likely move on with each child as they grow and move on. Though, I still think I will love having a gorgeous tree. And life is meant to move on, so when the time comes for the kids to move on, that will be a good season too.
For now, this is the tree we have. I have not said things to cause the kids to suspect that my tree hopes are not fulfilled in this tree. Why be discontent and pass that on to others? Why steal their joy? Since this is the season for joy, I delight in their delight in this tree and I delight in the possibility that someday there will be a tree that makes me gasp with happiness. After all, I want them to remember me as someone who delighted with them. I hope that someday when they are grown and they walk into my house at Christmas time they will gasp with wonder that mom has such a gorgeous tree! "Who knew she had it in her?", I imagine them thinking. Because sharing delight is the real point. How fun that we can delight together over uneven bubble lights and cheesy ornaments and that we can learn together to appreciate the beauty that another eye beholds.
6 comments:
I have no Martha Stewart inclinations, so I love my messy tree :) I want my kiddos to remember the fun times they had decorating it, so it's really for them anyways...
looks nice Heather. Our boys received an annual ornament while at home which they took after marriage. I miss those days & reminders of their interests. BTW - I found a round washable holiday tablecloth on sale one year, cut a slit on one side and a center hole and that is our simple tree skirt. Water drips or sap don't ruin a fancy one then.
I'll be honest, I was horrified at first when my sister and I left home and my mom started not pulling out all the cheesy ornaments and bought pretty matching sets of decorations. Didn't she LIKE the way we decorated it for all those years? Now that I'm older, I get it :)
Love this, Heather! I have very consciously gone through this exact thought process, this year in particular, and come to peace with my perfectly imperfect tree. Their delight is so much more important to me than a tree that looks just so. Well said!
Love this, Heather! I have very consciously gone through this exact thought process, this year in particular, and come to peace with my perfectly imperfect tree. Their delight is so much more important to me than a tree that looks just so. Well said!
Vikki, that is a great idea! I still did not get a skirt for our tree this year, maybe I will keep my eyes out for a round table cloth that is on clearance in the next week or so.
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