There are a few things I didn’t inherit from my momma. One is height. I am short where as she is slightly taller than average. Another is decorating skills. She is amazing at decorating for the holidays. Me, not so much, but she did teach me how to decorate a Christmas Tree. Let’s just say the process isn’t as easy as it sounds.
If you use a real tree, it starts in picking the right one at the Christmas tree lot. For us,
we didn’t just go in and select one after a few minutes. Never ever did we pick the first tree
we saw. To us, very few were qualified. It had to be six foot tall. The branches had to be
evenly distributed. As for the shape, it had to have the classic Christmas tree form in that it
was pointed at the top and full on the bottom. Plus, my daddy would check the needles to
make sure it wasn’t too dry because that could be dangerous. Last but not least, it had to be
the right price. Talk about a challenge.
After we got it home, daddy sat it in the tree stand. We had to make sure it was perfectly
straight. No leaning allowed. Then we strung the lights on it. I would hold them for Daddy and walk behind him as he placed them onto the branches. Once we were done, mom would inspect the lights to make sure they were evenly spaced around the tree. She always adjusted and moved them around until they were just right. Once she was happy with the lights, Daddy’s job was done. He would sit down in his chair and read the paper.
Next was my favorite part, hanging the Christmas balls on the tree. That being said, Mom and I just didn’t place them anywhere on it. The ornaments had to be strategically hung. For example, you didn’t hang two ornaments of the same color close together. Also, if they had the same design or shape, then they could not be close together either. Smaller ones on the top with the bigger ones toward the bottom. Also, each branch had to have a least one ball. No holes or space with no decorations were allowed. Basically, our tree had to be perfectly balanced in every way.
“And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.” Deuteronomy 11:19 (KJV)
My mom just didn’t teach me how to decorate a Christmas tree. She and my dad also taught me how to have a Godly life by the way they lived theirs. Don’t ever forget your children are watching your every move. By the way, so are others.
The picture with the article is of my mom’s tree. See how balanced and color coordinated it is? I like to think that mine is as well. In the process of decorating it, I have moved ornaments around several times from branch to branch. Before the season is over, I will probably move them around again.
Brooke Cox is an author, speaker, and storyteller. She was a 2016 Selah Awards Finalist for Debut Novel. Her children’s book: “Dinosaur Eggs,” is now available. It is based on Ephesians 6: The Armor of God. Her novel “Until the Moon Rises: A Conniving Cousin Mystery” is also available. Also, she has two books out in her storytelling series: “Saucy Southern Stories.” The Amazon links for her books may be found on her website: brookecoxstories.com. Please feel free to contact her. She would love to hear from you.