O Christmas Tree

Many people have themed Christmas trees, or are particularly meticulous about the ornaments and decorations that adorn their trees. I am generally a particular and meticulous person, but when it comes to our Christmas tree, I am neither. All of the ornaments on our tree mean something very special to me. With the exception of a few “base” ornaments, like the white stars and red and green balls, they all have particular meanings.

My mom started a tradition with Mandi and I when we were little. She gets us special ornaments every year, and writes the dates or little notes on them before she gives them to us. I now have ornaments spanning back all the years of my life–a porcelain little girl who looked much like me at age 2, a character from the Nutcracker which plays the music, a tiny bird’s nest with decorated eggs. I look forward to the ornament every year.

Nik and I have started our own ornament exchange, this being our second year. Our ornaments to each other decorate our tree, as do ornaments bought in my favorite little store in Ogunquit (proposal site), a gorgeous red and blue ball from a little store in Greve in Chianti, Italy, and seashells I picked up on Hampton Beach, NH last year, and which I fashioned into ornaments.

All of these items spark memories in me and make me reflect on the places I have been and the people I have been there with. Last night, for example, I texted Mandi a picture of the Italian ornament, and it made us reflect on our incredible trip together. The many ornaments obtained in Ogunquit will be even more special to me now that Nik has elevated the town from special to magical. The shells from Hampton Beach make me think of the stroll along the beach last Thanksgiving, with Mandi, Nik, and family members. My tree might be characterized as “this and that,” but everything on there is very meaningful to me!