If you’re familiar with the traditional German tune, “O Christmas Tree,” you know it extolls the green branches of the fir tree and explains how much they delight us. The words ‘pleasure’ and ‘delight’ are in almost every stanza.
Our Christmas tree doesn’t look anything like the song’s. It’s green, but you don’t actually see bare branches because they are adorned with many colored blinking lights and an equal number of ornaments.
It’s the ornaments that are truly special. Over the years as Earl and I traveled we brought home ornaments as souvenirs of our trips. Now that our traveling days are over, these small reminders hold many memories.
There are two furry Eskimos from our trip to Alaska, one felt crown from Westminster Abbey from our visit to London, miniature replicas of our visits to Warm Springs, GA and Key West, FL where Presidents Roosevelt and Truman respectively went to relax. Add the miniature record from Motown in Detroit, the carabiner from Yellowstone, and the tiny Dutch shoes from Holland, MI.
There are also ornaments given me over the years by good friends who fit their gift to the recipient. That’s why I have more than one musical ornament and an equal number of monogrammed tiny stockings, angels, and – believe it or not – one cardboard hatbox signed with all the people who helped decorate the tree in 1986.
The oldest ornament was given me by my father when we reconnected in the nineties. Evidently he and his wife made sequined Styrofoam ornaments as a hobby when they were young. Mine is an elaborately colored old-fashioned train engine. It is always in the front. As is the monogrammed Christopher Radko ornament showing two snow girls hugging given me by N, a friend of 60 years.
It took three evenings to decorate the tree that stands no taller than I do. Each ornament brought so many memories and was carefully positioned – and sometimes repositioned – until everything felt just right.
Perhaps that’s the real meaning of the song’s ‘pleasure’ and ‘delight.’
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