We all have them. They are the things our parents and grandparents did when we were small, that we may still carry on today. I’d like to share one of mine with you.
My mom always had the house beautifully decorated for the holidays. I used to marvel at how patient she was hanging tinsel on each branch of the Christmas tree, a tradition she carried on from her mother. Our tradition was the white Christmas tree on the hearth of the fireplace. Decorated with red satin Christmas ball ornaments, the tree sat in the corner, giving the room a homey feeling. You would think that sounds odd. How could a white, artificial tree, be homey. But it was. It represented our family. Every year, without fail, the tree was found in its spot. As mom got older, she stopped decorating as much as she used to, eliminating the white tree, along with other things.
Lives get busy and emotions change and I found myself moving away from the traditions of my childhood, and creating new ones for my own family. But something was always missing. An empty space among all the decor. And I could never put my finger on it. Until now.
As most of you know, I left the wedding and event industry after 15 plus years to pursue a greater passion. In doing so, it has also given me the time to reflect on my life. What I did, what I am doing and what I have yet to accomplish. Have you ever taken the time to do this? Most of you will say no because you’re busy running out the door to get to your jobs, or your child’s soccer or baseball game or just running, in general. We all need to do this at some point in our lives. If we don’t, we will lose ourselves.
And so, as I prepared to decorate my own home, a task that had lost some of its luster over the years, I decided it was time to make a change. I simply stated to my husband that I wanted a white Christmas tree. I explained the sentiment behind it and he said “if that’s what you want, then do it”. And we did. I wanted my mom, who is up there in her years, to experience those days of long ago, once again. She has no idea we did this and I can’t wait to see her face when she comes in the house. We do not have a hearth to place the tree on but it does sit in the corner of the room, adding a warmth that I never imagined I could feel again.
My little piece of comfort…
It’s so important to have traditions within your family but even more important to carry them forward so that your children and their children will have these memories. It doesn’t have to be a holiday tradition. It could be as simple as flying a kite on the beach. It is whatever feels right in your heart.
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