Christmas Tree Lights Bring Back Great Memories

As a child, I remember sitting in front of the decorated Christmas tree, completely fascinated. I thought that the Christmas tree lights were the most gorgeous things I'd ever seen. I'd turn off all of the lights in the family room and let the Christmas tree lights give the family room a peaceful and serene glow. Christmas was the best time of the year for me. I'd play holiday music and close my eyes, breathing the fresh pine smells.

The funny thing is, now that I'm an adult, I do the same thing. In addition to still being completely fascinated by the sight and smell, it seems to give me a way to relive one of the best parts of my childhood. I know lots of people are turning to artificial trees now. I even tried it for a couple of years. They just never look quite as pretty or smell as nice as the real thing. Once I discovered that, I don't seem to mind cleaning up the fallen pine needles as much as I used to.

In my youth, my father would be in charge of putting the tree in the stand and making sure it was standing perfectly straight. Then, he'd carefully wrap the Christmas tree lights around the branches, making sure to hide as much of the cords as he could. Then my father would step aside and my mother would take over. She would hum Christmas carols softly to herself. I'd always catch my father watching her tenderly.

After she was satisfied that all of the Christmas tree lights were absolutely perfectly placed and the cords were hidden, she'd plug them in, and carefully adjust my father's work. The tree would light up and come to life. I'd smile and get this burst of energy. She'd then, wordlessly, leave the room and I'd know that it was my turn to do my job. I was in charge of the decorating. I'd put all of the ornaments on the branches, carefully spreading them all out evenly. I'd take some extra time to put the crystal and glass ornaments near a bulb, so that the glow from the Christmas tree lights would shine through them. I thought that they looked beautiful that way.

If there were any extra strands of Christmas tree lights leftover, my mother would use them to decorate the banisters or wrap around the mirrors. No matter what she used to do with the Christmas tree lights - whether they were carefully wrapped around the branches or making normal and everyday household items look festive and elegant, she had a way with everything she touched.

Now that I have a household of teenagers, I miss my mother dearly. She taught me how to appreciate the simple things that represent the holidays. I decorate my tree the same as my father, mother and I used to, wrapping the Christmas tree lights around the branches and hiding the cords as well as I could. I make a point of buying extra Christmas tree lights to decorate things around the house. My daughters have taken to decorating the outside porches and patios. Christmases in our household are always special. I owe that all to my mother and the vivid memories of the glowing Christmas tree lights.

Someday soon my children will have families of their own. I hope and believe they will think of me much like I think of my parents every Christmas. In fact, I have no doubt they will. Every so often I'll catch one or more of them turning off the house lights and just sitting in the living room looking at the tree. I know they have the same feelings I had when I used to do that as a child.