Finally realizing what the "Perfect" Christmas Tree looks like!

Over the past 30 plus years of picking out and decorating my Christmas tree, I have always taken pride in making it look perfect.

I worked hard to find a tree with just the right shape, fullness and height. After finding what I considered the best, I would decorate it with select ornaments from my collection.

I used to think it was important to have the “perfect tree” and the “perfect ornaments”. I chose ornaments that had meaning to me, but I was also very concerned about the look!

As the years went on, I managed to collect far too many ornaments to fit on the tree, and so the not-so-perfect-ones did not make the cut...they remained in the box. My selection of ornaments ranged from antique baubles, to paper Santas.

Every year I make sure to put ornaments that were my grandmother’s near the top as they are quite small and look just right up high, and they remind me of her presence in my life. I also make sure that a few of my Mom’s old ornaments as well as some of the handmade ornaments made by my Mother in law were on my tree, as I have so many fond memories of them both. Most years, I must admit, I thought I knew the definition of the “perfect tree”. But this year, my tree looks different.

This year, I made sure to add those oversized, paper, glue and sparkled ornaments made by my kids many years ago; those ones that never made it on the tree in years past. This year I made sure to place them in a prominent spot on the tree…. front and center!

Call it “wisdom”, call it “age”, call it whatever you’d like, but it took me quite a few years to realize the beauty and importance of these special treasures. Now that my children are grown up and I don’t have constant daily interaction with them, these ornaments hold special memories. The faces, and remembering those moments are much more valuable to me than any ornament in the world.

In the past, I must honestly admit, I would look at those creations as I opened each box of decorations, and would comment and chuckle at the Polaroid photos (even the one of my daughter with a very angry face), and the Santa made from construction paper and cotton balls, and then I would put them back in the box for another year.

This year was different.

This year I looked at these and realized how priceless each one is and how I could never replace any of these with a store bought ornament, no matter the cost. Just looking at these brings me back to when the photos were taken. Back to the school Christmas parties when I was a “Room Mother”, and back to when my boys were Tiger Cub Scouts. But each ornament shows a moment in time and the creative choices they used in making these special decorations as their gift to me and their Dad.

I think I have finally learned the definition of the “Perfect Christmas Tree” and mine is just that!