Trimming the Christmas tree, Bing Crosby singing in the living room, the smell of something baking in the oven, going through all of the Christmas books and reminiscing of Christmases past..."Don't you just love it Mom?" says my Brendan as we carefully place those lights on the tree...just so! "What's that Brendan?" "The Spirit of Christmas...it just makes my heart so happy!" says my 9 year old!
Indeed it does. There is something about this day that we have always loved. I love it because it is drenched in tradition (wonderful, joyous tradition) that I know my boys will continue on long after Mike and I have gone. It is just what we do, and we do it well.
In years past, I always tell the story about each and every ornament. This year, the boys are remembering more and more. So in my mind, as I was handing those ornaments to be hung, I was picturing my boys as men, handing those ornaments out and saying these very same words:
"Oh that was for my Mom & Dad's favor at their wedding, you know they got married 10 days before Christmas, way back in 1990!"
"Oh this ornament was my grandmothers when she was a little girl, let's be very careful, it is very delicate."
"Ha! I remember my Mom would always try to hide this one in the back of the tree, but it was very special to my Dad. His Mom had that ornament when she was a little girl!"
"These were the ornaments Mom and Dad would get before they could have children. They got these in Vermont."
"Oh this one was from the Jonases, and this from Mrs. Gorman..my first birthday, I made this in 2nd grade."
The stories go on and on and on! I can't tell you how much this makes my heart swell.
As we trim the tree and listen to the songs play in the background such rich and wonderful conversations are always birthed. Singing...Gloria in Excelsis Deo, Shane says.. "Mom who was Gloria?" or "What does 'pa rump pa pump pum" mean?" or "Why do those boys (Vienna Boys Choir) sound like girls?" Makes me smile!!
This year, Mike's grandfather is 92 and he suffers from Alzheimer's. He lives with us (or we with him..however you want to look at it!) It was very sweet today. He came up to the table with the boys and waited patiently for his ornament to hang on the tree. He never use to do that, in previous years he would sit and watch, but not this year, he fully participated and it was so precious! We don't know how many years he will have with us, so my boys get to have this memory too: Their great-grandfather trimming the tree with them! Priceless!
The Day after Thanksgiving....2010!
No comments:
Post a Comment