Tell about your favorite ornament and win a prize. I love holiday traditions, and one of my favorites is the Christmas tree. Some people have beautiful creations that would warm the cockles of any interior decorator’s heart. Not mine.
Mine always look lopsided, with holes and mismatched ornaments, courtesy of the multi-aged children and grandchildren who put the tree up on Thanksgiving day. The tree sports especially mismatched ornaments. That’s because our tree decorations are collections of favorites from everyone in the family. That includes designs from the sparkly but strange ones spotted at Wal-Mart to the Disney collectibles the grandchildren pick out every year.
I have a few from a friend who sends the official White House ornament yearly. And there are a few other rather fancy ones that caught my eye--hey, G/ma gets to have one now and then. :)
Consequently the tree is a mismash. But I love it that way. Yet no matter what new prize anyone contributes, there are two that hold special place in my heart. Or used to, that is.
When my sons were small, the very first ornaments they chose were wooden figures, representing things they liked. Not Disney. We couldn’t afford that. I don’t even recall where they came from.
One was a band major: a figure dressed in a bright red band uniform with his tall hat and carrying a baton. That son was later to be his high school band’s major (for a short time--guys didn’t do that, you know :>) and award-winner saxophone player.
The other was a little cowboy on a rocking horse. The son who chose that never could say why it caught his fancy, but it did. He did not become a cowboy :>.
In the good years and the bad years, those ornaments were last put away and first put on the next year.
When the boys left home for college or other life in general, I continued to lovingly place those two figures on the tree. They brought back wonderful, nostalgic memories. I wouldn’t trade them for the most expensive ornaments available.
I no longer have them.
Not many years ago, the last time we all were together on Christmas, each son asked if he could take his ornament for his own tree.
I miss them. It doesn’t seem like my tree is decorated without them. Just this year I found myself, unthinkingly, looking for them.
Those were--and will always be--my favorite ornaments. Inexpensive, slightly worn, wooden figures that represented my sons.
I just hope they pass them along to their children.
What about you? What is the story of your favorite ornament?
Comment and win a prize!
