Well, my 69th Christmas has come and gone….it wasn’t the celebration that I had anticipated when we entered the season of Advent…even though preparations for a beautiful day were on time…actually far ahead for me considering I’m a chronic procrastinator at times….gifts were purchased and wrapped, some baking was finished in order to enjoy a cookie or two during coffee breaks….our tree and other decor were in place early in December….all that needed to be finished was waiting for a good snow covering and having our children and grands in our home Christmas Day. Well laid out plans were canceled due to sickness hitting one of our children’s family…so opening gifts and enjoying a Christmas ham were delayed until New Year’s Day. But, those things are not the focus of my entry today. I want to take a look at comparing my current Christmases to some memories and practices that span my 69 years.

• Growing up, our family always had a “real” tree. I remember trudging through the snow with dad–his hatchet in hand–to choose “just the right tree”. This took time because so many opinions were involved, us three kids, dad and mom–if she wasn’t waiting in a warm car!  I was shocked to learn that artificial Christmas trees actually date back to the late 1800s, in Germany. Imagine metal wire trees covered in feathers from a goose, turkey, or ostrich! They were even dyed green to imitate pine needles. In the 1930s the Addis Brush Company created the first artificial -brush trees, using the same machinery that made their toilet brushes! Um, feathers? Toilet brush look a likes? No thank you. 
• I can remember Christmas cards lined up across the mantle above the fireplace in my childhood home. There were dozens from family, friends, dad’s co-workers. Mom was challenged each day when bringing in the mail– where to put the numerous cards that arrived every day throughout the month of December. When we were first married, I loved getting cards and made it a priority of my own to send out beautiful cards to loved ones. The task took up several evenings after dinner, but I felt it was a wonderful tradition to maintain, even when time was tight. Now? This year I think we received less than 12 cards–I’ve noticed that Christmas cards have been replaced with memes posted on social media–hitting every person who opens the app and sees the variety of greetings in their feed. Did you know that the Christmas card originated in England in 1843. Well, that’s what one article says. Hector Cole found a way to take advantage of England’s “penny post” system for sending correspondence. Look it up….maybe people aren’t sending cards for a couple of reasons….time, cost of a stamp. A confession? I sent out six cards this year, all to out of town folks.
• It’s not the extravagance or price of a gift that matters. I saw this when our grandchildren opened their gifts. Don’t get me wrong, they loved what we purchased and put under the tree along with their stockings. My husband gave our two grandsons a penlike magnet that extends for reaching tough spots. Can you guess the results? Yes, all four of the kids took turns seeing if it stuck to a variety of surfaces….an inexpensive purchase at our local hardware created lots of giggles while experimenting.

Christmas is one of my favorite seasons and days of the year. I have many fond memories from all the years that are behind me now…from childhood…early married years…watching our children grow and adding in their spouses and children of their own. We aren’t a perfect family, yet every time we get together on Christmas, there’s always conversations about their favorite memories, too. I’m careful to listen to them…hearing what made this holiday special to them…giggling over some of the gifts they have received….glowing with enthusiasm when giving gifts to us and one another.

Yes, Christmas looks different every year now…and that’s ok….we celebrate the birth of the Christ child…we attend Christmas Eve service at church….I “hope” for snow…and I have yummy treats in the pantry to go with coffee or hot chocolate while I sit by the glow of our Christmas tree–which is an artificial one–missing the years trudging through the snow to find a real one….missing our parents….missing the challenge of displaying oodles of Christmas cards…embracing the beauty of the season while creating memories that will be cherished no matter traditions or not….at least I don’t have “feathers” to clean up or wonder if people think my tree resembles a collection of toilet brushes….yup, we’ve come a long way.