Seasons change

It’s Christmas time!

One week from today the “littles” will wake up to see what Santa has brought, there will no doubt be excitement.
I recall when the “littles” were my kids, and we were deep in tradition. The tree was decorated by the four of us, boys did the lights, girls did the ornaments. Undoubtedly this meant a trip to the hardware store for something, eventually even that became a tradition.

We would recount the story of nearly every ornament as they were placed. Grandma painted those, that was from Aunties birthday party, that one was a gift from your teacher who kept booze in her desk drawer. The clear ornaments have paint we applied with plastic forks one year when we didn’t have money to buy shiny new ones. They are all equally important.

I was always the one in charge of wrapping the white ribbon around the tree, and the angel made of raffia ribbon was always put on last.

Next, our book of bucket list items. We would all sit and read the list we’ve added to for years, if we accomplished the dream that years date was written next to the dream. My daughter wanted to swim with the dolphins, my son wanting to crowd surf…etc etc.

On Christmas morning egg casserole always baked while we opened our gifts, and gifts never started without Dad and Mom having a cup of coffee in hand, no matter how early my daughter woke the house.

The last few years the littles haven’t been my kids, they’ve been my Grandkids. Things change, and with change brings stunning beauty if you’re willing to see it.

Our tree is smaller now ( the hubby tweeked his back lugging the old one upstairs years ago) We’re older and wiser now so we follow my moms lead and put the tree away with the lights still on each year.

The Grandkids anxiously await their turn to place an ornament on the tree, and each ornament seems to have a new life through their eyes. Now the stories start with “Your Daddy” or “Your Mommy” as they are told, and the bottom of the tree is heavy from the little hands being in charge. It’s perfection.

I still place the ribbon, but the older Grand Daughters convinced me to replace the old raffia ribbon angel, we now have a grand gal with white feather wings and an illuminated dress that changes colors. She’s really too grand for our tree, and she seems to know it as she leans forward looking like she wants to jump off.

A lot of our other Christmas decor remains unboxed. Instead, the kids have made snowflakes and paper chains that decorate the house. They remind me of days long ago.

Simple. Child like. Perfect.

The bucket list never gets unpacked. I guess because looking around here, there is nothing else that we could possibly want. ❤️

Till next time~ Erin