Ornaments and Memories

Backstory  

For decades, ornaments have been accumulated for the family Christmas tree.  Today, they are out of sync with modern holiday culture.  See what happens to the boxes of ornaments displayed in garage or estate sales.  Glitzy, homemade, delicate glass or practical plastic, these ornaments once meant a lot to someone.  But they’re usually left behind by the bargain hunters.  They find themselves un-owned, unprotected, and unwanted.  After fifty years of dealing with my own collection of ornaments, it was my time to face their future.

Ornaments and Memories 

Do you remember the Christmas tree decorations of yore? The delicate colored and painted glass ornaments, those made out of clay or paper by school children, the special anniversary ornaments commemorating a new baby or a wedding or some other special event. For years, I decorated our Christmas tree with these ornaments, remembering the story each ornament held. 

Today, the style of tree decorating is different. We may choose a certain color scheme that all the ornaments must match. Or the giant seven-foot tree may be reduced to a tabletop size in a downsized home. 

I was in that position. So, one year, I packed the special ornaments into an orange crate that had a separate cubbyhole for each one. I took the crate to the holiday family gathering and put it on the table after dinner.  We all got to share the memories conjured up by those old ornaments and touching was definitely allowed.

This year, the orange crate will disappear. I’m going to give the ornaments away. Each child and grandchild will get at least one, and some will be set aside for future great-grandchildren. It’s my way of keeping the memories going. Whether the orange crate tradition lives on through the next generations, or goes the way of the choo-choo train under the Christmas tree, at least I’ve done my part for this year’s Merry Christmas. 

P.S.   

It was gratifying to see how well received my bundles of ornaments were.  Recipients recognized many, welcomed others, and gushed over the really special pieces I had highlighted.  Whether or not they actually get hung on a tree has yet to be seen.  But at least for now, they are in loving hands and seem to have a bright future.

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