The Perfect Christmas Tree
2015-12-22
There are three of these lovely balls on my mantel piece. That's all I was willing to risk.
Christmas is about unbelieveable joy, not perfection.
And yes, the dog really did get tangled in the ribbon.
The past seven years, since my oldest was mobile, I've decorated my tree with Christmas ornaments weighted by fragility, not artistic balance. The glass ornaments never even get taken out of the box, just admired for their beauty and packed carefully back for a few years from now.
I believe in using my most beautiful things every day. Otherwise what's the point in having them? But when your three year old climbs the window mullions, it's time to pack the most cherished fragile things away.
My Christmas tree is decorated with paper chains and ribbon trailing randomly from the topmost branches. The lights look nothing like when I put them on the week after Thanksgiving. I'm pretty sure there has been some discrete pruning where my oldest son tried out his pocketknife.
This tree resonates with joy and love. It's the center of the home and lights up rany days and the dark of winter solstice. There will be a time for delicate ornaments, but I don't know that they will be more beuatiful. My home and my heart are full of joy this Christmas.
This Christmas tree is the most beautiful one yet!
