OH, CHRISTMAS TREE…
OH, CHRISTMAS TREE…
(an appreciation)
I like nature (though I’m not all that crazy about ‘wild’ life). I love hiking in the woods, walking on a sandy beach, swimming in the ocean… just smelling the fresh air. Flowers are nice in the ground or a meadow or a pot, but what I really like are trees even if I can probably name only about four different species. Memories of my father raking the leaves from the big oak tree in our yard then diving into the piles… the smells, the touch, the colors… will always be with me. Hiking the Appalachian Trail (not the “Appalachian Trail” in Argentina) during the foliage season is an all time ‘high.’ Well, as long as I don’t have to sleep under the stars on the hard ground or even in a tent when the day is done (did I mention, I really don’t like ‘wild’ life). But the tree I love the most is our yearly Christmas tree, not sitting proudly in a forest, reaching for the sky, but sitting proudly in our house, nestled in our tree stand reaching for our ceiling.
I’m also a city girl who loves walking in Manhattan amidst the beautiful man made caverns and canyons. The sight every year of the tall Christmas tree perched in the middle of Rockefeller Center always takes my breath away (well, that and the cold, wintry, New York air)… the perfect marriage of (wo)man and nature.
As long as I can remember, I’ve always had a tall Christmas tree. As tall as the ceiling in my house or apartment allowed. The aroma the tree brings to our home is so clean and fresh and no matter how the tree is shaped, there’s always a perfect angle. I also love the tree’s jewelry. The lights, the ornaments… it’s one of the reasons I love the circus – but that’s another blog. But it’s not just the trees “glitterati” I love, it’s the memory that each ornament holds. I still have the angel my grandparents gave me when I was four…
the first ornaments I bought when I lived on my own…
there are hearts, wreaths, elephants and Pierre Deux ornaments my mother gave Richard and me every year we’ve been together till that last Christmas she spent with us...
(even one from the White House Blue Room, a "Christmas in the White House" special)...
a card mom sent us years ago…
even an ornament I painted for us (as I did for friends) the year money was an ‘object’…
So as much as I love my noble noble for being beautiful on its own (and am sad when we ‘undress’ her every New Year’s day and send her back to the earth), I also love it because it tells the story of my life as well as any photo album. Christmas trees are memory trees. What was, what is and what can be. It’s love, loss, hope and faith. You can’t get a more perfect marriage of (wo)man and nature than that.
9 comments:
Tree at last, tree at last, thank god almighty it's a tree at last!
Very sweet piece. Of course, those memories are mine as well... :)
What a beautiful story, Ilona.
- Hoang
Thanx, Hoang (you, too, honey) -- Now if only we could figure out how to post pix side-by-side ;o)
What a beautiful tree and I love the explanations of each and every bulb decoration you presented.
Phillip Mooney
Thank you, Butch.
Oops, Richard just told me that Butch isn't a nickname, but your email address -- so...
Thank you, Phillip!!!
Beautiful. Can't wait to see it person, now that I know the history, even sweeter.
A very sweet memory piece that clearly explains tree love.
So beautiful. What wonderful memories of a wonderful life.
Post a Comment