Monday, December 5, 2011

Why my Christmas ornaments are so ugly

My Christmas tree is a melange of ornaments from different eras with a mainly red color theme. 
The collection of Christmas oddities is not one I am self conscious of, but rather sentimental about.
Some are mod or downright groovy.
They remind me of my childhood and hearing Santa's bells as he left the presents for me, always just out of sight.
made by me age 4
There is one that reminds me of tiny, earnest fingers trying to craft what is imagined.

I don't understand the mushroom/ Christmas connection but I have a lot of it
They remind my of my Meme (grandmother in French) and the effort she went to every year from 1948 to 1996, when I took over.
No one in the family thought she would let me host Christmas and when I timidly broached the subject she gasped with relief, saying " I thought no one else would ever do it. I am sick of it."
Some ornaments remind me of opening presents with messed up styled hair from the night before.
made by my mother for her mother
Many remind me of the people who made them.
The snowman my son made me and....
the preschool project remind me that he actually was little and cute at one time.

Things my children made are an important part of my tree decoration.
Christmas for me is about memories, not the trying to relive the past but more of an homage to all of the good things that Christmas has become and that is why my ornaments are ugly.
I wouldn't have it any other way.

2 comments:

Acanthus and Acorn said...

I enjoyed this post! Some of your ornaments are similar to mine! I don't get the mushroom/ Christmas connection either?!

Kerry Steele- Design du Monde said...

Thanks, I enjoyed writing it and every year I relive precious memories that are difficult to "translate" to others. Glad you enjoyed it.