Christmas for me is a season of differing emotions. There's the smiling, expectant, happy grandchildren, but there are also memories of Christmases past and thinking of my wonderful mother and father. There would be a stocking full of gifts, when I woke up, with a larger present under the tree from Father Christmas. I remember such love, joy and excitement.
That's part of my tree in the photo above. Our adult children make fun of it. They ask, "Why don't you get a new one? A real tree perhaps?"
The thing is though, this has been a family tree since I was a child. I won't say how many years that is, but it's quite a while! So there are happy memories from my childhood Christmases and also those of our own children when they were small and growing up.
Somehow the tree has survived many moves and ups and downs.
My wife is also happy with the tree, as long as we have her German childhood decorations hanging from the branches. That's one of them above.
She remembers her childhood Christmases in Germany and how presents were distributed on Christmas Eve. Sadly her mother and father are now longer with us.
Anyway, enough waffling on. I hope you have a magical Christmas - happy and peaceful.
Anyway, enough waffling on. I hope you have a magical Christmas - happy and peaceful.
All good wishes ~ Mike