As I sat in the living room last night, gazing at my lit Christmas tree, I was struck by a long-ago memory.
I remember many years ago when my mom decided she wanted a new tree. She pulled out the JC Penny catalog and ordered the one she liked best…complete with all of the ornaments displayed in the ad.
The night she decorated, my sister and I were not allowed to help, so we watched from the stairs. She arranged everything exactly like the picture from the catalog, which she had torn out and saved. First, she put on the lights, which were red. This was quite different from anything I’d ever seen.
Next, she added the ornaments. There were gold bells with red ribbons on the tops, some sort of cranberry or cherry looking ornaments and red apples. The tinsel was the finishing touch…each piece perfectly hung. I’m pretty sure I went to bed long before she had finished. That’s how particular she was.
I found a picture, not of that tree, but of another, to give you an idea of what one with red lights looks like:
Why does this memory stand out for me? I think it is because I remember the feeling of coziness that enveloped me in a warm embrace as I sat on that bottom step. I also remember my mom quietly working…taking pleasure in something she had long waited for. I remember feeling a little left out, but even at my young age, I understood that this was her moment, and I respected that.
I think we all have moments during the holidays that belong to just us, whether it is sipping hot chocolate on a cold morning after the kids have gone to school (like I just did this morning), or shopping at the mall, lost in our own little worlds as we meticulously select gifts for our loved ones.
Filed under: This-n-That | Tagged: christmas, tree | 2 Comments »
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