The Spirit of Christmas Present
What does true love look like? It looks like this:
Due to weeks of being on the road for work and a week laid low by Winter Cold 2009, I have been unable to catch even the smallest molecule of Christmas Spirit. Every day that passed without holiday cards getting mailed, cheerful decorations being hung or gifts being selected, I became more and more despondent. I tried to keep my chin up and tell myself that those things were unimportant and that I still carried the Christmas Spirit in my heart. Truth be told, though, those holiday rituals are important to me and they make me happy.
When we returned home from the airport tonight, Red claimed his garage door opener was on the fritz and let me out at the front door instead. As I came up the walk I noticed that he had replaced our non-holiday flower wreath with the Christmas wreath. Sneaky Christmas elf! I laughed as I opened the front door, grateful for the time he took to dig out our wreath just to cheer me up. This week he’s had to deal with a fridge on the fritz, maintenance men peeing on our shrubs in broad daylight and proctoring final exams at the university. Time for putting up holiday decorations is something he (like me) didn’t have.
But just as soon as the front door swung open, I saw something that made my heart stop in mid-beat. In the far corner of our darkened living room stood our Christmas tree, all dressed up in new LED lights. While I was halfway across the state, Red was busily setting up the tree (with “help” from the cats, I’m sure) and stringing (and restringing) Christmas lights. Just to make me happy. I almost couldn’t see the tree for the tears that streamed down my face.
This tree that filled our tiny apartment for many years now seems like a Christmas shrub under the cathedral ceilings of our new house. Red confided that despite several attempts, the lights just never seemed to reach all the way to the top (we hung our “New Home” ornament there this evening). It doesn’t bear the usual branch-bending load of ornaments of Christmases past. And I would not change A SINGLE THING. How can you improve upon THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TREE EVER?
When I think of the time Red spent, lovingly decorating our tree for no other reason than to make me happy, I am speechless.
Happy holidays, Tumblr peeps. May each and every one of you experience the love and joy of this season.
