A Memory That Glows

This is a time of year that is always full of introspection. The decorations will come down in the next few days and be wrapped and stored safely away until next Christmas. It is a lot of work. My decorations are a bit over the top. But as I say every year, it takes five days to put them up and five to take them down.

My mother loved Christmas. She budgeted for months so we could have all the treats that are a part of the feasting season. She particularly loved putting up the Christmas tree. We had inherited ornaments from my great aunt, and the quality and whimsy of these blown glass ornaments impressed me as a child. I buy one crystal ornament each year. I tell my children that when I’m old I will have an iron tree with only crystal ornaments, and they will split the rest of the collection to hang on their  Christmas trees.

I will share a special Christmas memory with you. One year as a teenager I walked into the living room of my parents home to turn off the tree lights. I was a bit startled to see my mother sitting in the dark, looking at the tree, with the radio on. I sat with her for a while, and then said good-night and went on with my evening. I found out that she would sit alone on Christmas until the last Christmas carol played. Some evenings she would recline on the sofa and relax in the glow of the tree.

The other night my son walked in the family room and was surprised to see me sitting alone. “Why are you sitting in the dark?” he asked. “Just looking at the tree,” I answered.

It is, after all, a family tradition.