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From the Christmas Tree

December 10, 2021 by Lauren 20 Comments

Christmas tree“To eke out the most happiness from an experience, anticipate it, savor it as it unfolds, express happiness, and recall a happy memory.”  – The Happiness Project:  One-Sentence Journal

 

Anticipate It

 

From the stuffy old attic, patiently I wait every year for November.  I know you will soon release me and display me in that prominent spot where you can see me from both living rooms and the front door.  I love to represent all you are grateful for leading up to Thanksgiving.

 

When the girls were young my only autumn decorations were construction paper leaves with Bible verses of gratitude and the names of people and things you thanked God for.  Simple, yet profound.  Now that Allie and Shelby are practically grown, the handmade give way to real ornaments of fall leaves and pumpkins and footballs.  The names of who and what you hold dear still sit in my branches.  I’m prettier this way, but those names written in Allie’s childish handwriting still hold a special place.

 

Only I know that you really birthed the idea of the thankfulness tree from the desire to get your Christmas decorations up as soon as Thanksgiving is over.  That retail man you married has more time to drag me out of storage at the beginning of November than on Black Friday weekend.  And once you and yours have eaten the turkey and your family’s most excellent cornbread dressing, I really get my chance to shine.

 

Savor It

 

I was made for Christmas.  And I soak up every moment as you unbox the ornaments and other decorations.  Family is so important to you, and I see traces of them all around.  Ornaments your kids made and ones with their photographs on them.  Things your late grandmother and talented sister crafted.  Many vacation souvenirs hang in my branches (thank you for straightening them out and fluffing them, btw).  NYC, Los Angeles, Disney World, Carlsbad Caverns and cruise ships come to mind.

 

My decorations represent decades of Christmases past (but not in a creepy ghost way).  The oldest date back to the year you were born (we don’t have to share the exact number).  Your mom lovingly recorded the year you received each ornament of your childhood and where it came from, then handed them to you after your wedding.  I notice how the ones you made usually go down low in the back.  But you never throw them away.

 

Now you give your kids a special ornament every year to commemorate something meaningful that happened.  Allie has ones for volleyball teams, choir and theater performances, pets, Covid 19 lockdown and broken legs.  Shelby’s tell the stories of her cheer team, graduation and all her favorite characters.  Even Chuck usually gets one with either Star Wars characters, the convertible he bought one year, his beloved Dallas Cowboys or new job titles on them.from the Christmas tree

 

From where I sit, I get a great view of all the Nativity sets.  They are you favorite decorations, but I don’t take it personally.  The tender scenes remind you of the true meaning of this season.  Seeing Jesus as a baby brings forth such joy for all He sacrificed to come into this world, live a sinless life and die to pay the price for the sins of all people.  Salvation in such a tiny package.  Joy to the world.

 

Express Happiness

 

The beautifully wrapped packages you tuck around my bottom make me happy.  They remind me of how much you love your friends and family and enjoy expressing it.  But there’s another box – full of Christmas books.  They go up into the attic with the decor every year and then you have a happy reunion with them – like old friends you haven’t seen in a while.  These books are best read by my twinkle lights.

 

On Christmas morning, the gifts from Santa appear all around me and in the stockings hung behind me.  Santa doesn’t wrap the presents he leaves at this house.  And yes, at 16 and 21, he still comes for these girls, just as he did for you at your parents’ house until you married.

 

Recall a Happy Memory

 

I miss Christmas tree campouts.  You spread sleeping bags around me and roasted hot dogs and marshmallows in the fireplace.  I watched as you staged indoor snowball fights and ice skating (Who knew wadded sheets of paper and paper plates could be so fun?).  Christmas movies and stories with Grinch punch were always a hit.  And you often shared the joy by inviting cousins, friends or grandkids to join us. (Grinch punch is nothing but lime sherbet and ginger ale – made special by rimming clear glasses with green sugar.  It goes great with your favorite version of the movie.)

 

Now that you – and the kids are older, no one wants to sleep on the hard floor under my branches.  But kids at heart still talk about those campouts.  And I’ll never forget them.

 

I know the tree that Jesus died on is a more important part of the redemption story than me, but you always make me look and feel so special.  And oh the stories I could tell of how you all have remembered His birth.  Thank you for allowing me be a part of such a fantastic celebration.

 

Merry Christmas,

The Tree

 

And now for this week’s featured post from the link up!

 

Fellow blogger Michele Morin and I are on the same page, which is why I enjoyed How to Find Christmas Joy in a World of Waiting.  Check back here next week for my perspective on the same topic!

 

 

1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

Grace and Truth_Meet Hosts

We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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LISA BURGESS – Lisa notes
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TAMMY KENNINGTON – Restoring hope. Pursuing peace.
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Filed Under: Christian, Christmas, family, Grace & Truth Link Up, Jesus, joy

Comments

  1. Michele Morin says

    December 10, 2021 at 4:33 am

    Thanks for sharing my post, but even MORE thanks for sharing the secret behind Grinch punch!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 10, 2021 at 10:28 am

      My privilege on both counts!

      Reply
  2. Joanne Viola says

    December 10, 2021 at 7:03 am

    Lauren, such a fun post to write from the perspective of the tree. There is something about a Christmas tree which brings such peace, comfort and joy to a home. And it’s funny, it does that even before the gifts are underneath it! It’s the softness of the lights which exudes such hope of what is to come! Blessings to you and yours!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 10, 2021 at 10:22 am

      I agree. The tree has always been somewhat magical to me. One of my favorite things about this season.

      Reply
  3. Donna Reidland says

    December 10, 2021 at 12:08 pm

    What a fun way to remember all those memories! And I made a note of how to make Grinch punch. Must try making it for my littles. Blessings as we look forward to the celebration of our Lord’s birth!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 10, 2021 at 1:11 pm

      Have fun with your grinch punch and littles!

      Reply
  4. Mica says

    December 13, 2021 at 5:00 am

    Oh what a beautifully written post! We do the same with our tree – each year we pull out the same ornaments, adding a few new handmade ones along the way, and it’s a lovely riot of colour and different skill levels from the kids, exactly the same as the tree at my parent’s house, that still has decorations we made when we were kids!

    Hope that you had a wonderful weekend! We went to a couple of fun Christmas parties 🙂

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 13, 2021 at 9:38 am

      I hosted a fun Christmas party. And watched several Christmas movies. Felt like living my best life!

      Reply
  5. Jerralea says

    December 13, 2021 at 11:42 am

    Lauren, thank you for this! I must confess I always felt like the Grinch when it came to decorating for Christmas. I just always had that at the bottom of the list. But now, after reading your post, I look at it a little differently!

    And I definitely will have to make the grands some Grinch Punch!

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 14, 2021 at 10:03 am

      Grinch punch was a hit with my kids and now with my grands as well!

      Reply
  6. Tea With Jennifer says

    December 13, 2021 at 5:10 pm

    A delightful & clever post Lauren 🤗
    Thank you for sharing it with us,
    Bless you,
    Jennifer

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 14, 2021 at 10:01 am

      Thank you, Jennifer. I had fun with this one.

      Reply
  7. PaulaShort says

    December 13, 2021 at 5:52 pm

    Lauren I love this. What a neat way to reminisce of Christmas’s past. As I was reading your details I was imagining these scenes unfolding. What lovely scenes I saw. Blessings.
    Visiting today from Inspire Me Monday #1&2

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 14, 2021 at 10:01 am

      Thanks, Paula. It was so much fun remembering.

      Reply
  8. Joanne says

    December 14, 2021 at 3:36 pm

    Aw, so sweet! I think our trees would have a lot in common as I feel like my own tree could have said these same things to us! (though our ornaments are heavy on video games/ heavy equipment my son has learned to drive/ and their various “boy” activities).

    We used to “ice skate” on our hardwood floors by using elastic bands to hold big pieces of wax paper to our feet.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 15, 2021 at 7:18 pm

      We sound like kindred spirits, Joanne! Thank you for sharing with us.

      Reply
  9. Calvonia says

    December 16, 2021 at 1:17 pm

    I love hearing the Christmas three’s perspective. My children are adults as are two of my grandchildren. I still hang their child made ornaments on the branches of my tree. It has been through years with us. We moved it this July when we brought our new house. Yet, it still brought me joy and a sense of nostalgia when I pulled it off the shelf in our garage into the corner where it could be seen from both the living room and the front door.

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 17, 2021 at 12:17 pm

      I love this and feel the same way!

      Reply
  10. Michelle says

    December 18, 2021 at 12:21 pm

    That was lovely! And nice hearing about your Christmas traditions.

    Michelle
    https://mybijoulifeonline.com

    Reply
    • Lauren says

      December 20, 2021 at 8:13 am

      Thanks, Michelle. I had fun writing it.

      Reply

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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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