O Christmas Tree by Kim

When I was a kid, the Christmas Tree was absolutely magical. Whenever I was near it, I felt warm, safe and very happy. I guess you could say I felt the Spirit of Christmas. To this day, I do not know what it was about my childhood Christmas tree that meant so much to me. Was it the fact that we went and picked it out together? Or that each year we all got a box of new ornaments in the mail from my Grandma Stott--a very sweet connection to her. Is it that after she passed away, we each got a new ornament from my mom and dad to carry on the tradition?

Or was it the way my dad lovingly strung the lights every year before we decorated it--gold lights down the trunk and colored lights on every branch. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that we all decorated it together and that was a happy celebration in and of itself.

AnnLoureen, Cindy, Juli, Kim, Jon, David
I know that a large portion of the magic came when it was dark outside and only the Chrismas tree lights were lit. I would stand in awe of the beautiful glow the tree put off as the colorful lights reflected off the gold garland that was always the finishing touch on our tree.

I remember loving our tree so much that I would be next to it as much as possible. I would read by it, play under it, lie under it and smell the pine as I gazed up at all the lighted branches. I even remember often trying to hug it. I would see how far my little arms could wrap around the tree. It was a little disappointing that the tree that looked and smelled so heavenly would poke me when I tried to hug it, but I would try anyway.

One year in Kentucky, we could not afford to buy a Christmas Tree. I remember wondering how it could ever feel like Christmas without one. That year, my little brother Jon and my little sister Juli went to the woods behind our house and cut one down by themselves. I remember watching them struggle as they tied branches together to try create something that resembled a Christmas Tree. I was so grateful for their act of service to our family. They too knew it just wasn't Christmas without a tree.

Now I have my own house and my own tree. Each year I pass a treasured ornament from my childhood down to my children. I love to hear their expressions as they unwrap and hang each ornament. Our tree is not real, and the lights are not colored, and there is no gold garland hanging around it to make it sparkle, but I hope in it's own way it invites the magic of Christmas into the hearts of my children each year. And who knows, maybe next year, possibly the first Christmas without my mom, I will get a real tree, put gold lights down the trunk with colored lights on every branch. We'll hang every treasured ornament from my childhood. Maybe I'll be able to find some gold garland and try to recreate the magic that was always in my childhood home at Christmas.

Thank you Mom and Dad for always making Christmas magical. Your love and the memories we have created together will forever live on in my heart and fill it warmth, love and happiness--the true Spirit of Christmas.