Yesterday I decided to put up my Christmas tree. I normally wait til the weekend after Thanksgiving, but since I had energy, I put it up.
I went downstairs, moved stuff around in the storage closet and got my tree. It is a pre lit tree that I bought a few years ago. I grabbed the same ornaments I put up last year...I only put up blue and silver last year and I did the same this year. The cats were assisting me through out the afternoon. Supervising the ornament placement, messing with the tree skirt, jumping in the box and otherwise...just getting in the way.
Once I got it all connected and plugged in I see that a few rows or branches are not lighting. Oh well, I am not going to go through each light to find the troublesome bulb. Instead I will think of it as this tree represents my current life. I am going through cancer again and there are times I really don't feel like being bright and shining! I am just happy to get through most days with a lot of light and positivity.
The cats have been up to their usual mischievous behavior. Kalina in particular thinks she needs to taste each branch. This is not a new thing, this happens every year. Taste the branches. Taste all the bottom branches. She ignores the ornaments, she is in to munching the fake greens. Gracie likes the ornaments. I have plastic ornaments on the tree because of this. She likes to bat at them. My tree is a giant cat toy in her eyes. I have not put my collectible Hallmark ornaments up for a couple years now. I will again some year, just not this year. Many years ago I made the mistake of putting bells on my tree. The cats had fun at 3am, batting bells off the tree, down the hall and down the stairs to the basement. No...I won't make that mistake again.
It will be a different Christmas, and Thanksgiving, for everyone this year. I myself am kind of used to it. I started the social distancing and being extra careful in 2018. I put up my decorations, I will turn on the outside lights after Thanksgiving. I will wait til then for my light up Grinch to go up too. We really don't need large gatherings or huge gifts to celebrate the holidays. We need to remember what the real meaning of the holidays are. My mom will be with me at my house for Thanksgiving, we will eat, probably watch a movie and visit. We will talk with my brothers on the phone and toast with them. I will load her up with leftovers when she returns to her apartment. Christmas will be similar.
My Christmas shopping is done, I got a lot of personal, simple gifts for family this year. The gifts are wrapped, for now, until Gracie decides to inspect or Kalina needs to rearrange the tree skirt for ideal napping. My Christmas list is simple. I want to feel good through treatment and to beat cancer again. Well, ok, some dark chocolate would be good and an XL sweatshirt and fuzzy lounge pants would be nice too.
But now...my tree is swaying, yup, Kalina is nibbling the branches....and Gracie is admiring ornaments. It may not be perfectly lit or fully decorated, but I think it is beautiful.
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