I am very aware that it's late January and my Christmas tree is still with me In all it's splendid glory A high dose of nostalgia The daunting display of A myriad of memories. The bold bubble lights lend a warmth and a life to the whole scene... And the Tree becomes a Tapestry of Life No wonder that a few tears escape As I lovingly pack each ornament In it's tomb-like box One more day, and it goes away!
Yes, I’m one of those who puts Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving, and reluctantly removes them in late January, only because the rearranged furniture finally gets to me. I have 2 chairs, a light and an elephant table in my studio, crowding an already cluttered room. And we all know that January is when we decide to un-clutter.
I painted the picture below in memory of a tender tree-trimming encounter. When my Grand daughter was 6, she wanted to help decorate the tree. First, you have to understand about my tree. It’s called the elephant tree because most of the ornament are elephants, and most of those given to me by my sister. She’s made it a hobby when she travels to look for them, and then sends me her purchases on my birthday in November. And she is generous! I’m sure that if I made a count of all of them, it would exceed 300! It is an art to be able to place them on the tree and to be able to see them all, and to have it look pleasant. I don’t just hang them anywhere. The tree is on a rotating base so that it slowly turns to display all sides of the tree. So, I grit my teeth and agree to let the kids help, knowing that I’ll be re-arranging ornaments for some time, and they eagerly and tenderly do their best, but when my grand daughter actually removed a large elephant which I had placed in just the right spot, I was quick to swoop to the rescue and replace it. BUT, she insisted, and walked over to a branch where I had placed a bird’s nest containing 2 small elephants. She said that the mother should be by the babies, and it stopped me in my tracks! Her profound comment was absolutely correct, and I was WRONG. To this day, the Mommy overlooks her beloved babies in their nest, just like the year before, and the one before that, and will be until there is no more elephant tree.
You know, kids can be very wise. They can be right when we are wrong. They can melt our hearts with their innocent and pure love. Anyone with children knows that. And doubly so with grandparents because we are not caught up in the routine of caring for them all the time, day after day. We are not so exhausted! (At least, most of us). If they do nothing else, they pull us into their world of wonder and show us things we’ve forgotten, or never noticed in the first place. What a priceless gift they are.
