Holiday Traditions

I was lounging this morning in the blue, sturdy, functional chair. I am not sure you could characterize it a comfortable but good enough for the hour-ish I would be sitting in it. The pungent anticeptic hospital smell in the air. You know the scent, Like sticking your nose in a box of BandAids. The place was unusually quiet. Many of the chairs stood empty where normally there were folks in line waiting. I was making small talk with Felicia I think her name was, while I was waiting for my blood to be taken, red cells removed and the remaining fluid returned to my body. I was her only charge and one of only 3 or 4 other donors total so there plenty of time for chit-chat. One of the other flebotomists mentioned that she had gotten her Christmas tree over the weekend. Felicia reminisced about how she and her kids use to go pick out their Christmas tree together but now her kids were mostly grown and out of the house. She missed those days. It started me thinking about our tree traditions.

My job is getting the tree in the stand and getting the strings of lights working and stringing them along with the silver garland on the tree. After everyone is satisfied there are enough light on the tree to electrically symbolize the spirit of Christmas, we gather the whole family together and one at a time we place the special ornaments on the tree. Each of the kids put their "Baby's First Christmas" ornament on the tree. Of course they have to pause so we can get action shots for the photo album. Karen and I, together, place the "Our First Christmas" ornament. The kids round up the Cats and one at a time, with cat in arm, they place the cats' first Christmas ornaments on the tree. From then on we kinda free-for-all the rest of the decorations on the tree. Each ornament has some significants, from the pre-school art project to the ornament remembered inherited from my childhood trees. Everyone has their favorites and inevitably there is a skirmish or two about who put what ornament where etc. but with the beach boy's christmas album playing in the background the recently cut frasier fur is transformed into the Grissom's Christmas tree.

The last thing to go on the tree is the glass Santa tree topper. When the kids were small I would have to place them on my sholders so they could reach the top of the tree. Michelle is the only one who would need help now adays. Even then one of the boys would probably take my place.

I do not know when we first got it but each year thereafter it is always a challenge for us to remember who's turn it is to place Santa on the top of the tree. A couple of years ago we finally got smart and put the name on a piece of paper in the in the box with the Santa so we would not HAVE to break out the photo albums from Christmas past. (Something we inevitably do anyway. )

It's kinda sad this year because Bob will not be around for the "raising of the tree." In all honesty I really did not think he would care one way or another but to my surprise he expressed disappointment he would not be there this weekend when we decorate the tree. Perhaps this year we will have to adjust the traditions and delay putting on the special ornaments and tree topper on until everyone can be present.