It's Ornamental

Ornaments, from handmade, to elegant glass-blown works of art, tell a tale of the giver and the recipient. And, over the years, are infused with personal history and memories of holidays spent with those we love.

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I'm not one of those people who has her tree up and decorated first thing. If I'm on top of things, I might get the tree in place the weekend after Thanksgiving. But then, it will take me a while to finally get the ornaments on the tree.  Sometimes just due to a busy schedule, sometimes because I have to push myself to get at it, and find a little holiday spirit.

As the years go by, there are fewer holiday get togethers, fewer people to gather, and generational differences in holiday plans.  Being without kids, it's just the two of us, and Christmas is nowhere near the top of any wish list for my husband. Once upon a time, when I was single, and when we were first together, I loved to decorate for the holidays. But as the years have gone by, and life has changed, loved ones have passed on, finding the festive inner spirit has gotten more difficult.

I've written about this before. And I know that I'm not alone in this. The holidays are a very difficult time for many. Grief, sadness, depression, loneliness, these are all amplified by the holiday season. My cover for this, over the years, is to immerse myself in the gift list. Something my mother did with aplomb. I try my best, and sometimes I succeed.

As I get older, it seems the holiday season is a mix of muted grays and ambient twinkle.

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Freshly fallen snow along the Root River Parkway

And there is nature, a saving grace. Though the to-do list for the holiday season, and the preparation for winter in general, sit front and center, getting outside for a walk in a local park, or on a nature trail, revives me in a way nothing else can. It takes me out of myself.
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I'm taking in the scene, I'm breathing deeply, listening to the birds calling, and the sound of my feet along the trail.  I'm noticing the different colors of bark and lichen on a tree, the variety in size and shapes of pine cones on evergreens. Maybe hearing the sound of a stream trickling along, or the crackling of worn branches in the wind. The way the light finds its way through the trees, illuminating the understory, the faded grasses, or berries on a bush. 

​Arriving back home after a walk, it is rare that my mood hasn't improved. All my troubles or worries may not have disappeared, but the volume on my negative mindset is turned down, and a kinder voice rises to the surface. At least for a while. Long enough to decorate a tree. Wrap a few gifts. Bake something decadent.

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This myth of constant joy and wonder during the holiday season is just that, a myth. Life is filled with ups and downs, blissful moments and tragedies. The Christmas season is not exempt from the trials and tribulations of life. And yet...

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A hand-blown glass ornament, a gift from a friend many Christmases ago, adds a rainbow of reflection to my Christmas tree each year.

A needlepoint deer was a gift from a friend, and is one of my nephew's favorites on my tree.

A precious ornament, filled with dried flowers from my mother's funeral arrangements.

Taking the time to finally decorate the tree, I go through my ornaments. Selecting favorites, one by one. 
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Several ornaments related to birds and nature. Many of them handmade gifts from family, friends and co-workers over the years. A clear glass ball ornament filled with dried flowers from my mothers funeral floral arrangements, lovingly prepared and gifted to me by one of my sisters. Several of us hang this ornament on our trees every year. A framed photo of my parents wedding photo. Hand painted ornaments from my nephews, a needlepoint of a deer from a friend.

The process of decorating the tree conjures up so many feelings. So many memories and kindnesses received throughout a lifetime. Minus any other holiday decorations, a Christmas tree does the job. It adds a bit of twinkle, a bit of greenery, and artful reminders of a lifetime of connections big and small.  It makes no matter if the tree fits on your tabletop, or reaches the ceiling. Because the space it truly illuminates is within the heart. 🎄

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However you choose to spend them, may your holidays be just what you need them to be.

Peace,
Kimberly