Oh Christmas Tree!

My Dad and I only had 14 years to spend together. Even though it wasn’t much time, he taught me some very practical life lessons that I’ll never forget:
*When on an unfamiliar highway, always stay in the right lane in case you need to get off quickly.
*The four pronged screwdriver is called a "Phillips head."
*Don’t let your gas get below ¼ of a tank.
*When putting lights on the Christmas tree, ALWAYS start top to bottom, and weave them in and out of the branches for the "ooh…ahhh" effect.

No Joke. He said "ooh and ahhh."

As it’s the Holiday Season, I’ve been thinking about him a lot. Usually happens this time of year because my best memories of him are associated with Christmas – especially when setting up the tree like I did last Saturday.

Funny isn’t it? How certain things can take you back. How selecting a simple Balsam Fir tree can make you feel like you’re eight years old again.

*Poof* You’re brought back to that Christmas in 1992, when Mom and Dad bought you that Butterfly Maker you’d been dreaming of. You sat under the glow of the tree all afternoon in your new red bean bag chair, making butterflies while Dad watched an old war movie and Mom dealt with the left-over turkey.

Anyone can hang an ornament, but my Dad made sure that I knew the "proper" way to string the lights and garland as they are the backbones of a good Christmas tree. He took pride in his Yuletide decorative work and passed that pride down to me.

Once I dragged/shoved the tree through the kitchen door and got it just right in the stand, I got started on the lights; top to bottom, just like my old man taught me. I was working with a new set so it took several attempts to get the "Ooh … Ahhh" effect.

If the lights are the backbone of the tree, then the ornaments give it character and make the tree yours. They tell stories of different times and places, or of family members and kin that you never knew but honor them on your tree regardless.

It’s a little bittersweet, but whenever someone passes in the Klerowski family, we remember them with an engraved ornament.

My first encounter with this tradition was Babcia’s - Polish for "grandma" - (pronounced BAHP-chah). After her death, she became an angel blowing a trumpet while resting in a star, "Mom" is engraved on her trumpet.

I remember watching my Dad hold it with such care and seeing all his memories flood back as he reverently placed Babcia’ star on top of the tree. I never knew the woman, but if someone was that important to my father then she was worthy of my respect.

I still put her on top of our tree.

After my Dad’s passing, one of my aunts gave out his ornament: a praying angel holding an engraved heart in his hands. "Donald" is the engravement.

I started the tree with them. It seemed only right and they have their places right at the top. Then I moved on to the rest of the family. We all have ornaments that represent us:

My "Baby’s First Christmas" bootie
Dancing married couple ornament for Mike and Kelly
Aubrey has several that she’s made, and an angel with "Joy" embroidered across her front.
Aiden and Mom are combined in a "Proud New Grandma" ornament
Baby Jesus is also bunched with the family as a carved manger scene and was a present from a friend who went to Israel years ago.

We still hang ornaments stemming back from my earliest memories. My favorite are the little Gingerbread girl and boy. They always had a specific scent . . . still do – and for me, that encapsulates Christmas.

The best part is, they’re from Avon and are about as old as I am!

These ornaments, hanging the lights a certain way, and spending time with my family are traditions that I desperately cling to and without them, my Christmas Spirit would be lost. Perhaps I’m stuck in my ways, maybe I hold onto to the past instead of barreling ahead to my future.

The way I see it, my past made me who I am today and is worth remembering. Everything from the scars on my legs from falling down too much to dancing to Polka music on Christmas Eve were part of the moldings that made Kelsey, Kelsey.

Apart from my birthday, Christmas is my favorite time of year – not for the presents, but for the remembering. It helps you realize what and who is important to you, also helps you to see who you are and where you come from.

I encourage you to take time, remember, reflect and relish those memories. They are well worth it.