We have some ornaments at our house that were given to us by one of David's grandmothers when we first got married. She was getting new ornaments so she thought she would pass down some of her older ornaments to us newlyweds! We had one of those Christmas trees that looked like it was made from those bristled bottle washing brushes...you know what I mean? It was pretty pitiful looking, but it was also a hand-me-down, and beggars can't be choosers. We only had a very few ornaments for our tree and she thought we needed more! When these ornaments arrived we carefully looked through them. There was one "ornament" in particular that I did not like. The reason that I used parenthesis around the word ornament, is because technically it wasn't an ornament. We were pretty sure that it had been a part of a flower arrangement at one point or another. How did we know this? WELL, it was a mouse elf ornament with a green flower pick coming out of it's "hind-quarters"! It had probably sat proudly perched among some fresh cut flowers sent to her several years prior to us recieving him. But, here he was among a box of tree decorations. I picked him out of the box and immediately sat him aside.
David, on the other hand, thought he was quite cute. (I think he was just doing it to spite me!) David insisted that he was to go on the tree. So, I found a spot where he could not be seen and placed him as deep inside our bottle-washer tree as possible! We finished decorating our first Christmas Tree and off to bed we went. The next morning I got out of bed and headed to the kitchen, stopping first to turn on the lights gracing the branches or our little tree. As I stood up to admire the tree, something immediately caught my eye. You see, sometime in the middle of the night David had gotten out of bed and snuck into the living room. He had then taken our little mouse elf "ornament" and placed him at the very top of the tree...in the front...right at the base of our star...so that he was well illuminated and seen by all! So, I did the natural thing and put him right back where I had him in the first place...in the back...hidden from view.
I wish I could tell you that this is the end of the story, but this same thing happened every day until Christmas! David and I played this little game and over the years that little mouse elf "ornament" has become a treasured possession! The only difference is...now, when he comes out of the ornament box he is placed at the top of the tree to begin with, and he stays there! We have two trees at our house, one that I decorate with "pretty" ornaments that all match, and one with all the odd and end ornaments that we have collected over the years and cherish! Of the ones we treasure, I would say that he is probably one of the most precious. He is not valuable, or breakable, or even very attractive, but he is special to us. Every year when I place him on the tree I am reminded that the most precious things in life really aren't extravagant.
The most valuable things in life are the things that have memories surrounding them. They usually don't come wrapped in lavish paper with big bows. My relationship with Jesus is one thing I treasure most, then my husband, boys, and family! I could write more about the things that mean so much to me that really didn't cost a dime, but they sure do require my time! Right now, that ornament reminds me to take time to cherish the memories of the life God has given me thus far, being thankful for even the silly moments...like the moment when a tiny mouse elf "ornament" became a tradition in our home! What are the things you treasure most?
Posted on
Sat, December 19, 2009
by Crystal Colp