All is Merry and Bright

The festive holiday season has begun, and all of the glimmering, shimmery, glittery trimmings are on full display in our Home. We have a brand new Christmas tree this year.

A Christmas tree is quite an investment at our house considering our last artificial tree, which has been retired to the basement rec room, was bought over 11 years ago. Since the store did not have the tree on display, I took a BIG chance buying the very last 9' tree from the '05 Target After-Christmas Sale. I had to decide to make the purchase based solely on a picture from the side of the box.

My husband feels very spoiled by having a tree with lights already strung on each branch. Every year, he is such a good sport about dragging out the many strands of lights, wading through the tangled mess, and replacing any burnt out or missing bulbs.

This adorable man is ALSO the one that puts all the decorations on our tree. He always does a SPECTACULAR job of carefully placing the ornaments so they are face forward, and distributing them among the limbs so that everything looks perfect.

When he is finished, I love to tuck a few surprises in among the branches. This year I have placed several real bird's nests along side the other shiny jewels that are suspended from the majestic evergreen. These tiny nests are so delicate. They are true works of art, straight from the hands of mother nature. I can even image a little sparrow or robin red breast perched beside each nest.

Feelings of delight wash over me when I see the tree illuminated for the first time and adorned with all its bits and baubbles.

What is it about the Christmas tree that fills our hearts with such joy? Perhaps it is an opportunity to bring nature a little closer to us... but so many people, myself included, have an artificial tree. However when I see our tree grace an empty dark corner of our Home, I feel happy and hopeful.

I spend many moments during the holiday curled up in a favorite chair in the same room with this symbol of the season... trying to drink in all its beauty. These are rare moments when I actually make time for myself to just sit and be very still. I take a few minutes from all my rushing around I think I must do, and just breathe. A quietness falls over me while I am sitting there so silent... so still. This calm rests upon me like a soft warm blanket that I love to snuggle under on cold nights, and I feel a deep inner peace. It is within these precious moments that I reflect upon the end of a year that has passed by too quickly and upon a season meant to make the heart both merry and bright.