The Memory Tree

Once a year some of us bring a tree into our home. This tree is then decorated many different ways, depending on the customs of the family. Some will string cranberries and popcorn, which is actually much more to the roots (no pun intended) of the Christmas tree as it was first decorated with fruit and nuts hundreds of years ago. The Christmas tree is largely attributed to Germanic origins, although many ancient cultures can claim to decorate trees and or evergreen boughs for one reason or another.

Our tree is the product of 43 years of marriage. And when the ornaments come out of their boxes, it also brings out memories of the people who have contributed to our decorations either by inheritance or gift giving. Today we talked about my mother as I put on the little ornaments that I inherited from her. The are small and colorful and I think they are the "mercury glass" that was popular in the 1940's and '50's. I remember the Christmas that we got the can of "snow" and sprayed our tree and ornaments. They still have some of that snow on them. We sang some Christmas carols and then I asked her what Virgin meant as in Virgin Mother and Child. She stammered a lot. I was about 12 and it was, indeed, a more innocent time.

We talked about Bill's Christmas as I put the one large glass ball on the tree that belonged to them. His brother got the remainder (that's okay, by the way.) I was always curious why it was red, white and blue striped. I investigated on-line and learned it is older than my mom's ornaments as I found one like it...made during WWII...very patriotic. And then the other ornaments went up and we remembered Peg, Gwen and Cedric, Shirley, Eloise and Nettie, all gone now except for the memories.

The tree is dark on top as I have no lighted decoration there. Scruffy, the teddy bear is holding down the fort until such time as he gets replaced...if ever.

It is a children's tree, full of teddy bears and snowmen and rocking horses, dogs, cats, a giraffe, things our son made in the early days of his schooling, and new LED lights. And this Christmas Eve, the small family that is us, will gather around the children's tree and hopefully we will be children for a little while.

Busy, busy....sorry about not getting to your journals.