Today my kids and I took down our Christmas tree. Removing and boxing up all the ornaments is a lot less fun than putting them on the tree, but it gives me the chance to reminisce about the memories they hold. When I was a kid my parents bought me an ornament every year so that when I left the house as an adult, I wouldn’t have an empty Christmas tree. I’ve continued the tradition with my kids and my husband and as a result, our tree’s limbs are always heavy with ornaments, each with its own story to tell.

My kids love putting their collection on the tree each year. They’ve outgrown the toys and movies and TV shows that many of their ornaments represent, but it reminds them of what was important to them at that time in their lives. It puts things into perspective as they realize that with each year they change just a little, and the things that their world revolves around now will be only be a memory in a few years. But they’ll have a little reminder  – a Christmas tree full of them, in fact. Continue reading →