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Christmas traditions are little treasures tucked inside my heart. With each passing year, they become more valuable because I know one day soon our traditions will be changing. Our children are 18 and 22, and they will be moving on to start their own traditions.
This is hard.
I have always put up our decorations the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and I usually do most of the decorating. The only exception is the tree. The tree is a family affair. Some years the tree would stand bare but lighted, waiting on the kids' schedules to accommodate the family tradition of hanging the ornaments together, sharing those "remember when moments."
This is hard.
For many years I bought the kids an ornament with the idea that when they moved out, they would have their own ornaments for their trees. Now, as I look at these ornaments hanging on our tree, each one put up with a "remember when," I don't know if I can part with them. As I sit and look at the tree, it is a menagerie of memories. It is a perfectly shaped picture of our life as parents and as a family.
This is hard.
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| Megan's first Christmas. |
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| Ethan's first Christmas. |
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| Megan's first Christmas as a big sister. |
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| The ornament that everyone STILL fights over! |
Merry Christmas!
This brings tears to my eyes Leigh Anne. I'm in that same spot and have had the same exact thoughts. Christmas time seems to magnify all the things that have changed. I love this: "little treasures tucked inside my heart" safely kept. Merry Christmas to you.
ReplyDeleteSome day you will be ready to part with those, Leigh Anne, & you will treasure seeing them on your children's home trees. Maybe not today, but some day! Merry Christmas to you and all your wonderful family!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Linda. My children are grown; my oldest will be 30 this year, but none of them are married yet, so all the ornaments are still with me. I have some very much like yours. We had to do away with the decorating the tree together tradition. I am actually ready to do away with stockings, but my girls are not. Some traditions stay. New ones are fun, too. The bittersweet time you are in will pass, and you will come to treasure your memories while savoring the special time you have now. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteChristmas is a time of traditions both old and new. When the time comes that you are ready to pass on the ornaments I know that you will enjoy them as much on the trees of your children as you do on yours. The memories are always there.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard gorham me to imagine, but I will be in that place some day. You have many more memories to make with your family! Happiest of holidays to you!
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you are feeling, Leigh Anne - my oldest is traveling abroad for the holidays. But, new traditions are worth anticipating, too - we will find a way to adjust. Best of Christmas wishes, and Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThe first Christmas with no children is tough, I won't deny that. But new traditions are created and life changes. Have a great holiday and savor the moments with everyone.
ReplyDeleteLeigh Anne, This sounds hard. I have no magic words of comfort. It's hard. It's new. It's change. Know you aren't alone! Wishing you a Merry Christmas!!!!
ReplyDelete"Christmas traditions are little treasures tucked inside my heart. " What a wonderful sentence. I am picturing them tucked inside your children's hearts too. <3
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you are talking about, Leigh Anne. When my kids were born, I began the tradition of making a photo ornament of each of them. Taking those ornaments out and seeing those beautiful faces as they changed from year to year is one of my most treasured experiences all year long. Happy holidays to you and your family!
ReplyDeleteJennifer
From our very first Christmas as a married couple we always had plenty of ornaments because of all of my different childhood ornaments. My mom had a tradition of giving us ornaments on St. Nick's day each year. Then there were other ornaments such as school crafts or gifts from others that I had as well. Your post made me think about how my own mom might have felt when she passed these ornaments on to me.
ReplyDeleteI get a big lump in my throat thinking about this I guess I will get to keep all the teacher ornaments, but at some point all the sports ones that figure prominently on our tree will be gone!
ReplyDeleteWe all want those family traditions to last forever, but children grow up, and start their own traditions. And now we become part of their traditions. It's difficult, but fun too. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
ReplyDeleteWe can't stop time nor escape change, it may hurt, but at the same time it is good, because as moms we wish our kids to move on with their lives. I hope that your Christmas will be filled with love, warmth and joy!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is ready for her box of ornaments, so it was especially sweet to hang each one on the tree this year. Next year, they will go to her. This was our first Christmas with no children home. We survived, it was low key and enjoyable, and we face timed with both of them. I love that you mentioned thinking of my story when you look at an oatmeal box because I still think of you when I buy milk. Yesterday, the date was already January 8. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteIt is hard but since I am on the other side, I can also tell you it is lovely too.
ReplyDelete