An Imperfect Christmas
Do you have favorite Christmas memories or a particular Christmas that stands out from the rest? My family certainly had one when I was growing up. I believe I was in the 5th grade. We had recently moved into an old house that needed refurbishing. Our home was rather bare as most of our things were still packed up. My mom loves to decorate for Christmas (she has been known for keeping the Christmas tree up through February, hanging hearts on its branches), but that year our only decorations were painter’s tape and brown craft masking paper. The house smelled not of cinnamon or peppermint, but paint stripper and wallpaper remover. Since our household was in such upheaval, my parents decided not to put up decorations or the Christmas tree that year. It was just too much. Those things remained tucked away amongst the masses of boxes.
Christmas just seemed “off” that year. Everything felt displaced. I think my parents sensed this. On Christmas Eve Day my dad announced that we were going out to get a Christmas tree. Wow! We had never had a real Christmas tree before! What an adventure! My mom wasn’t sure any of the tree vendors would still be open, but we all loaded up in the car, determined to get a tree.
We drove around our small town and couldn’t find any open Christmas tree lots. My dad finally pulled into an abandoned gas station where a vendor had been selling trees. The place was cleared out. Only trash remained. We looked about the property and tucked away somewhere, someone found a tree! It was so exciting. We pulled it out and stood it up only to find that they had cut off the top. My dad suggested that we look for the top. It could have been discarded on the property. We looked and looked. I trudged down the side of a steep hill, peering through the brush. I found it! We were all elated and relieved. We tossed the top in the trunk, put the tree on the top of the car, and drove home.
Now, you must understand, my dad is not the handiest man. He wrestled and tinkered with that tree. There was an abundance of nails and duct tape used in order to get that top to stay attached to the tree. We quickly realized why the tree had not sold. The trunk was badly twisted and warped. The tree did not want to stay upright. Somehow, my dad managed to get it stabilized. In the meantime, the rest of us were stringing popcorn and making other decorations. We had such fun decorating that year.
When it was all said and done, it definitely was a unique Christmas tree. It certainly wasn’t the most beautiful Christmas tree, but it was my favorite. It had character. That Christmas tree wasn’t perfect, but it was ours and it was loved. All those quirks were what made it so memorable and cherished. If it had been perfect, it would have been forgettable.
This is a season when so many of us strive for perfection: the perfect gift, the perfect house, the perfect food, the perfect decorations. I recently was with a group of ladies and I asked them to write down what distracts them during the Christmas season. One shared, “The overall busyness of the season and the need to be perfect when I know that I am not.”
Yes. That hits in a deep place. Many of us strive for perfection, becoming enslaved by an unattainable or ever moving goal. It shackles us and steals our joy. Perfection is a fickle thing in this world. It is a mirage. This year, try something different. Aim for an imperfect Christmas. Embrace quirks and character. This is what makes cherished memories.
Dear one, you do not need to be perfect. Take that burden off your shoulders and put it on the only shoulders that can carry that weight.
Scriptures for peace in the midst of imperfection:
Luke 2:4-20
Romans 8:1-6
John 14:25-27
2 Corinthians 12:5-10
1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5
The Christmas I remember the most is when I was 16 not only did my dad uprooted us from our home town of Edison, Calif. But he ripped me away from my high school i had finally figured out where everything was that freshman year but my best friend who we felt like sisters! We moved to a big city., And high school where I knew NO One & I had to share a room with my sister as well as a double bed My life was miserable!! So I come home at the beginning of Christmas break & walk into a family room where I meet a monstrosity! An aluminum Christmas tree with pom poms at the end of each branch! I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Since when did my mom to nuts?! We always had a real green tree! I complained about it till my dad made a stern comment from my dad made it clear he’d had enough! Come Christmas morning my dad stood in the hallway & said one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready and four lets go back to bed! Say what!! Oh dad really?!! Well time a some major growing up changes your thoughts & memory. Now my sister & I laugh and consider that Christmas one of our best memories. Bottom line we are happy all together and wouldn’t give up that memory for anything!
It is interesting to look back and find that some of our most treasured memories are during times of challenge and difficulty. I had to laugh at the mental picture of an aluminum Christmas tress with pom-poms! Wow! It’s like the stuff of movies. Love that bottom line. Being together with those we love is such a gift. That makes difficult situations bearable, even treasured. Thanks for sharing, Susan. Merry Christmas!