Christmas ornaments can be very sentimental and hold our memories.
I have always loved Pottery Barn Christmas ornaments - they are so beautiful. And usually, they aren't super expensive - some of the ones I have were less than $9 each and came with free shipping. Sometimes Mark and I would get them as a gift at his office Christmas party since the boss's wife was really into PB. And sometimes I ordered them as Christmas gifts - especially for Chloe, as a mother/daughter Christmas tradition. They were sometimes also a once-a-year splurge for the family tree which was always styled elegantly, compared to the kid's tree. But quite literally, I was the only one who it mattered to, and I bet my kids wouldn't even remember them.
Sometimes that's how it is with such things at your house - not every thing is meaningful to everyone who lives there.
I came across an ornament that I dubbed "the magical tree". The year it came out, bottle brush trees were having a major moment. They sold out pretty fast, and I remember sending a photo of this one to a friend with an excited "look what I got!" message. Over the years I have babied the storage of this ornament, wrapping it carefully in bubble wrap and tissue paper, setting it at the top of the box so I wouldn't set something else on top of it. I never hung it on the tree because it was "special", so it tended to live behind the glass of the china cabinet. But what was so special about an ornament I couldn't even hang on our tree?
I feel like this ornament tells a story of valuing things over experiences and people. Over making Christmas into a pursuit and accumulation of more stuff that is pretty, but not necessarily useful or even memorable. It made me feel nothing when I saw it, so I wasn't going to set it out anywhere this year. Then I decided to just hang it on the tree, stop prizing it so much (if it breaks, it breaks), and think about what I truly want to feel and experience this Christmas.
Maybe this tree was a literal message to me in a bottle.
What helpful and meaningful thoughts about carefully considering what things mean to us and what experiences are meaningful. It is a pretty ornament.
ReplyDeleteIts pretty - but I feel ambivalent about it now.
DeleteI'm so glad you hung it on your tree!
ReplyDeleteI feel like it belongs there, for sure!
DeleteYep, I wish I'd used everything more and now I'd like my kids to just help themselves to any of my "special" objects.
ReplyDeleteI kinda feel the same way - thee are just "things". Pretty to look at, but only once a year. It feels weird to me now.
DeleteSomehow it seems right that you held on to the "magical"little tree and now you can enjoy it without worrying about it getting broken.
ReplyDeleteThe weird thing is, my kids were older when I got it. I don't know why I guarded it so.
DeleteIt surprises me sometimes how I can look at an object. The item hasn't changed a bit, but I've changed how I feel about it.
ReplyDeleteExactly!
DeleteIt sounds like a mindset shift and it's very powerful! It's so great that you hung the beautiful ornament on your tree!
ReplyDeleteThank you - I agree on both statements. Pretty "things" should be enjoyed.
Delete100 percent I agree. How can it be so special that it doesn't get hung, viewed and enjoyed? Glad you brought it out. PS: I feel the same way about plates, cups and towels. Use them. Enjoy them. IMO.
ReplyDeleteI do the same with my crystal goblets - they are great to dink beer out of. (: Why save them?
DeleteAgree. It's just why have these things if they're tooooo nice to use. I get that. 100 percent.
DeleteIt’s very pretty, I’m glad you put out on the tree. Funny how our perspective changes over the years and things that seemed so important at one time seem total trivial at others.
ReplyDeleteAs I get older, I have gotten wiser. Not much, but still...
DeleteThose kind of ornaments are special, because they will carry their story throughout the years.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if my kids will think so? They don't seem sentimental about such things.
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