Ellemental

It was a tossup this year. I didn’t know if I was going to put the little tree up or not.

I’m never home.
It’s silly to spend time on something I won’t have time to enjoy.
I’ll have to rearrange the living room.
It’ll make dust.

Then, while the logical part of my brain was looking the other way, the nostalgic part took over and before I knew it the little tree was up.

Every year I toy with the idea of doing a “theme” tree. All blue and silver – all red bows – all musical instruments. In the end I can’t bear the thought of the decorations I own – the ones my grandmother gave to me when she stopped putting up a tree and the ones friends give me as gifts every year- sitting forgotten in a 20 year old shirt box while I ooh and aah over bright and shiny new ornaments. So up went the bells and the styrofoam gingerbread men and the scary-looking santas. There are Hallmark ornaments from 1976 and a S’More reindeer from 2003. It’s sparse in places, and I probably have too many big ornaments at the top. But last night I forsaked (forsook?) the computer and the television and sat tucked in my comforter on the couch and just looked at the tree. I didn’t realize I had so many oohs and aahs and smiles left in me for tired old ornaments.