Friday, November 18, 2011

The Tree Stands Alone

My Tuesdays packed up Christmas for me last year.  As I lay sleeping, wishing to hibernate through the winter, they wrapped each ornament, folded each branch, collected each snowman, and stowed the entirety safely in a corner of the basement.

By their grace, I awoke later that day to find that Christmas had been put away.  A silent, profound gift.

I cannot bear to think about those boxes.  The colored lights, the star, the strings of silver beads, the red ribbons.  The lit greenery Robb hung from our bedroom window and over the loft into the living room.  The millions of snowmen.  A veritable army.

The ornaments that tell our story.
Our First Christmas.
Our First Home
Baby's First Christmas.
A Family of Three.
A Family of Four.
Dozens of representations, looped with a metal hook.

(I shall go nowhere near the exterior elements.  They were his realm entirely.  I didn't even give him the decency of a happy, helpful attitude as he asked me to hold his ladder steady.)

All of these will stay tucked away this year.  A hibernation of their own.

I bought new.  It's the only way to do any of this: to start new.

The boys and I went shopping to take advantage of the early-bird, 50% off, pre-holiday sales.

We bought a tree.  Pre-lit.  White lights.  Branches glazed with faux snow.

I claimed a color scheme of silver, white, and red - shimmers and sparkles, please.  And I said yes to everything that caught their eye in the aisle of ornaments.  This tree belongs to us, boys.  As long as it fits the said criterion and color scheme, put it in the cart. 

(Tyler tried with great effort to convince me of his new love for Ariel, The Little Mermaid.  A love so deep that he would like a Chistmas stocking decorated exclusively in all things hers.  I guided him elsewhere.  I'm fairly confident this is a fleeting fancy.)

We chose dozens of ornaments that carry no meaning - except now they will forever be the ornamanets of our first Christmas as a Tricycle.  This tree will stand alone, different from all the other decorations that will stay safely hidden this year.

We have decided to put a picture of Daddy on our tree.  And I am on the lookout for an ornament that is a tricycle.

10 comments:

Jaimie Teekell said...

Tricycles!

Unknown said...

hallmark has one, trisha. it's really cute!!! blessings on your first Christmas as a threesome!!!

Melissa said...

we gave this to my daughter a few years ago...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/HALLMARK-KEEPSAKE-2008-LIL-RED-TRICYCLE-ORNAMENT-NIB-/350507503277?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item519be00ead

Patty Kline said...

Sounds like the perfect thing to do, Tricia. Last year was my first Christmas without Dwight, and I couldn't bear to put up our big tree or get out any of our precious family ornaments that we had gathered over the years. I wasn't going to put anything up, but finally put up our small, pre-lit tree with white lights (I always put colored on the big tree), and bought some silver and purple generic, new ornaments for it. I hung our wreath on the door, and at the last minute hung our stockings on the mantel. I couldn't bear to not hang mine, and couldn't bear to hang mine without his. Not sure yet what I'll do this year. Probably won't hang his, because I guess I have to stop sometime, but it will be sad.

Robin said...

I'm in awe of you, friend... and in awe of the God who is sustaining you. May He bless you with wonderful new memories this year, your first as a "tricycle."

Becky's Place said...

A tricycle tree ornament. :) http://www.amazon.com/Baldwin-77345-010-Red-Tricycle-Ornament/dp/B0016HCM0M/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321712963&sr=8-1-fkmr2

Becky's Place said...

If that doesn't show up, I went to Amazon.com and typed in tricycle tree ornament.

Becky's Place said...

If that doesn't show up, I went to Amazon.com and typed in tricycle tree ornament.

Amy said...

http://www.amazon.com/Baldwin-77345-010-Red-Tricycle-Ornament/dp/B0016HCM0M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321714916&sr=8-1

Praying for you today.

Penny said...

Starting your own traditions sounds like a good plan. :)
Your Tyler sounds so much like my grandson, Mason. Mason is seven now, but at Tyler's age was constantly telling us he wanted to be a mermaid when he grew up. lol I finally got him to say "MERMAN." It was the least I could do for my poor son-in-law. ;) Mason is also a genius, an outside-of-the-box-thinker, and a sensitive sweet little guy. Mason's most recent 'crush' was on Taylor Swift. We didn't think too much of it until the day we walked outside to find "I *heart* Taylor Swift" carved into the side of his mother's van. Yikes! I still thought it was funny~ something she herself would have done at that age if she had thought of it. LOL