When it is something
you do often enough, people refer to it as a habit or ritual. For me, taking down our Christmas tree, is an
honor. My three “girls” are usually
visiting with Val’s mama…good thing I suppose, for my language can
get…well…..interesting…as I take down the holiday decorations. I enjoy putting UP all of the “stuff”…partly
because I love outdoing my neighbors, but taking DOWN the Christmas tree -- is
what is really special to me.
Our main tree is eclectic, with a
few ornaments dating back some 40
years. As I carefully remove each piece,
a memory flashes by – so it takes me a considerable amount of time to finish –
but it is time I cherish. You see – life
is measured in years – but living is measured in moments…. and I gotta tell ya’
– mine have been pretty good. So if I
seem a little sentimental – don’t call the “paddy wagon” for me – I am still
just as hardnosed as usual. However, this one time a year simply forces me to
appreciate my life.
There is a broken ornament on the
tree, purchased at a Christmas time visit to Six Flags Over Georgia when Val and
I lived in Atlanta. I was a little too
much into being macho then – and I did not wear enough warm gear. It was the coldest time I can ever remember –
Val and I still laugh about it ( she reminds our daughters that I am not near as
tough as I think I am) . The ornament
WAS a circle enclosing Dorothy from the Wizard of OZ. Dorothy has, (over the years), been
lost. The circle remains however, and every year, I smile when I place it back
in its storage box. That one stays with
us – even if I have to duct tape it.
There are a couple of “stolen”
ornaments on the tree – ones that once were a fixture on Val’s tree when she was
a child. Not real sure her mother knows
the ornaments are gone – so if you know my mother-in-law – don’t tell her…. Those two ornaments remind Val of her life as
a child. I am extra careful when I place
those back in the storage box…they are plastic…but the memory is important – so
I treat “them” with care.
There are 2 engraved ornaments
that Val gave me – back in the “poor old days”, when ornaments were about all we
could afford. I promised her in 1984 – a
richer future – poorer would have been tough.
I think we have done ok, but the ornaments are a reminder of how thankful
I should be for our life and her…sometimes (more than sometimes) I forget. Those ornaments are ones that usually go on
the bottom – for those couple of pieces represent the foundations of our
life.
Some of the more “interesting”
ornaments are the ones our daughters have made.
One is from Carlee’s pre-school
days, another from MattiLynn’s pre-school days. Wow – how those girls have grown! Perhaps, our girls will want to “steal” their
ornament when each one moves on with life.
I will still be tough enough to grapple over ‘em– although I may have to
use my cane to “fight” them off….for now the ornaments are wrapped with care and
placed away until next year.
As I will be "taking down the tree"
this week, I saw a few of the ornaments given to Val from some of her Girl Scout
“children” of recent years. I know some
of the girls gave them out of sheer respect ( a GS honor) for Val being the
troop leader for so long. Many though, gave the ornaments as a symbol of loving
return for the guidance Val has shown them. Perhaps some of the girls may not
even remember giving the ornaments to her – but I know we do. The memories those ornaments bring to me, as
well as the times our home welcomed the girls and their joyous laughter, their
youthful innocence and even the drama that a roomful of future women bring,
is still a time in my life I will
cherish each coming year. I may not
always get the floor clear quickly – but the happiness is crystal. How long will the celebrations continue,
since our oldest has begun to worry about “coolness”? I have no idea – but I will always have the
ornaments to remind me – just in case we all get a little too caught up with
life.
One of my all-time favorites is a
picture ornament of Carlee and me, taken at the first concert she ever
attended. People told me I overpaid for
those Taylor Swift tickets – and if
truth be told, I guess I thought I did
too. However, when that young singer
came down the aisle, walked to a
rotating stage only 30 feet from our seats and played the song “Fifteen”, I knew
I would have paid much more. Money
cannot often buy moments like that.
There is a picture ornament
of Chuck (my brother) and me when we were little. Christmas morning looks a lot different now
than it did then – but he is still with us each Christmas Eve and Christmas
morning. Every year he is so generous to
our family – this year perhaps we surprised him with a gift. Sports Weekend - including NFL playoffs tix - in the works.
We have ornaments from our trips
to Gatlinburg, from our Disney World trips, a couple from our trips to the beach, even a
few from our MANY trips to Wal-Mart. We
have old ones, new ones, ones that do not match the décor and a couple of which
I have no idea how “they” ended up on our tree.
We have ones showing involvement in school, cheerleading, soccer, ice
skating, band and of course, Girl Scouts.
Some include pics – but many do not. We decorate with lots of other stuff too –like
a collection of stuffed bears – 1 (or more) of which I have given Val each year
since 1987 – this year the date had the 25th Anniversary imprinted on
the foot – just seemed to fit….. All of
this is just stuff to anyone else – but each ornament and decoration “paints” a
memorable picture for me, with each movement I make, as I take down our
Christmas tree.
Every year I choose a favorite
ornament from the current year’s additions – although very few could top last year's ornanment card from MattiLynn's orthopedic doc (got another one this year - THAT NEEDS TO STOP!!! :)...This year my favorite ornament was not even an ornament - it was more of a compliation of pics that I will piece together and make into an ornament. Our lives were forever changed this past year with the passing of Val's grandmother. This holiday season was full of activities - from skate shows to Girl Scout parties to Christmas parade floats to school events to BCPS tests and other events that seem to dominate our daily lives - all important - most enjoyable - few with the impact of a very special person missing from our Christmas celebration. Through it all, Val stayed strong - mostly because she is - but partly because she senses I am not much for emotion. What Val most likely will never understand - is that she is THE exception to every rule I have. To quote my oldest daughter while talking with her little sister "Get Mama to ask Daddy - he just won't tell her no - he just won't." So my ornament this year is really just the pics in my mind and some from a camera of Val, a woman who I know was grieving, yet never let it stop her quest to serve others - a trait she learned from a woman - Val calls Mama Zander - who always did the same. Those "ornaments" I will leave out for everyone to see....
As some of you know – I have a
questionnaire that I have been compiling for future, little, one-track minded,
twerps who will come to my door wanting to see either of my daughters. Up until LAST year, the form was only 109
questions long. Last year I added
one more:
“Do you take down
your Christmas tree?”
The answer to that question will
say a lot about the Dad that little boy will need to be. Perhaps each Dad would be more involved in
his child's life today if only he “HAD” to take down the Christmas tree each
year.
May your "New Year" be as blessed
as mine is now…..
Chip
