I had the thought this Christmas that the ornaments on trees are sort of dispensable The main effect you get from the tree is all the lights (whether colored or white) glowing among the branches and lighting up the room. We do have a really great collection of eclectic and wonderful ornaments, thanks almost exclusively to the Aunt Emily. Still -- while acknowledging that our ornaments are very cool -- I'm not sure anybody really looks at them on the tree.
I have on occasion studied the ornaments on other people's trees, I think mostly because I want to feel condescending about their uninspired, predictable or tacky choices. (Smugly: "OUR ornaments are just so much more interesting...") But I don't think I can remember spending any time over the holidays just gazing at each little object hanging on our big tree and on the Emily tree.
But today I was taking the ornaments off the big tree (I did the E-tree on Sunday), and that's when I realized what's special about them. Or WHEN it is that they are special.
They're very nice as little glimpses of whimsy and color when hanging all around the tree, of course.
But it's when you take each one down and hold it in your hand for a minute before putting it back in the box -- that's when you really see it, and then the memories that this funny little object holds come to life. When did we get this one. Who gave it to us. What's the story -- or joke -- that makes this ornament meaningful or funny. What was going on during that particular Christmas -- how old were the girls, who else was around.
You get all that back, just for a minute. And then back the precious little thing goes into the box.
Until you take it out again next year, when you hold the memory in your hand, just for a minute. And then you hang it on the tree.
I have on occasion studied the ornaments on other people's trees, I think mostly because I want to feel condescending about their uninspired, predictable or tacky choices. (Smugly: "OUR ornaments are just so much more interesting...") But I don't think I can remember spending any time over the holidays just gazing at each little object hanging on our big tree and on the Emily tree.
But today I was taking the ornaments off the big tree (I did the E-tree on Sunday), and that's when I realized what's special about them. Or WHEN it is that they are special.
They're very nice as little glimpses of whimsy and color when hanging all around the tree, of course.
But it's when you take each one down and hold it in your hand for a minute before putting it back in the box -- that's when you really see it, and then the memories that this funny little object holds come to life. When did we get this one. Who gave it to us. What's the story -- or joke -- that makes this ornament meaningful or funny. What was going on during that particular Christmas -- how old were the girls, who else was around.
You get all that back, just for a minute. And then back the precious little thing goes into the box.
Until you take it out again next year, when you hold the memory in your hand, just for a minute. And then you hang it on the tree.
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