Christmas Adventures
When our children were young, my late husband, Carl and I purchased a live Christmas tree adorned with tiny, tight pinecones. We decorated it with lots of lights and ornaments we had collected through the years and placed it in front of the living room window. Our older kids, Aaron and Paula, liked being able to see it while playing outside, and baby Jay loved rolling under the tree and kicking low hanging ornaments or pulling ribbons off packages.
But something unusual happened. We began to hear little clicking noises in the tree, especially when the Christmas lights were on. It was a mystery until Carl discovered that the miniature pinecones were gradually opening, click-by-click, to the warmth of the lights surrounding them. It went on for days and the kids loved it. In fact, we were all enthralled with this simple act of nature. After Christmas, we kept the pinecones as souvenirs before disposing of the tree.
We didn’t know when we purchased that Christmas tree that it was special and would become a precious memory through the years. That’s how life is. You never know when you will run into an unexpected adventure or make lifetime memories.
The holiday season is a great time for new adventures and delightful memories. Things like donating to a charity or giving an anonymous gift to someone in need. Perhaps you could take a break from shopping and help with a community dinner or decorate a tree for an elderly friend. Gift your neighbors with homemade goodies. Better yet, invite them to your home for coffee or hot chocolate. For pure sweetness, attend a child’s Christmas pageant, and for your heart’s sake, visit homebound friends or family who can’t travel.
Be sure to include some sacred moments in your festivities since this is a holy holiday. It’s the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and worshiping at a Christmas Eve candlelight service fills my heart with joy.
And always leave room for fun surprises like sitting in the dark with the Christmas tree lights shining and hearing the click-click of tiny pinecones opening.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
