O Tannenbaum

Is there anything more Christmas than a Christmas tree?  Besides the bit of drudgery digging it all out of the crawl space, I love everything about it!  Especially since we got a pre-lit tree a couple of years ago.  For you purest who go out and cut your own tree, I envy you the adventure, but not January clean up.

I love hanging the ornaments on the tree.  Over the years, we have quite the collection.  We add a new ornament to commemorate the year, which gives me time for reflection.  There is a purple snowman, expertly colored by a certain grandboy, and there is a carousal pony made by my grandmother.  Some ornaments are bright and shiny.  Some are over half a century old, tired but true.  I remember with great fondness the ornaments that came from friends and family.  There are no random ornaments on my tree; each has a story, a connection, a bit of love.

The Christmas tree celebrates family and love.  Its branches display iconic Christmas, reminding us of the birth of a baby, born to save the world.  The baby's life is bookended with trees.

But the first one means nothing without the last.

Happy Birthday, Jesus!