A Whirling Christmas

Here’s this week’s reflection. I hope it resonates with you and ask that, if you enjoyed, please comment and share on your social media. Heartfelt thanks for all your support!

Keeping the light on for you,

Carol

“You seriously paid money for that?!” My husband rolled his eyes and continued, “The cheesiest decoration you’ve ever brought home, and you felt the need to get ANOTHER?!” He was referencing the item sitting on the counter – a clear plastic miniature Christmas tree filled with glitter suspended in mystery liquid. When fired up by either battery or, thanks to modernity, a USB port, said glitter would spin inside the artificial conifer while changing colors. 

“Yes – I certainly did – it makes me smile,” I retorted. “Besides – the girls and I LOVED this thing when they were little, and since the first “spinny thing” died years ago, I couldn’t help myself.” My painfully practical engineer husband grumbled and walked away, muttering something about hope for a financially solvent retirement.

Undaunted, I returned to my basement Lady Lair and plugged in the object of my delight. Glitter whirled, colors danced, and my heart leapt as I time-traveled back to a dark bedroom where little twin daughters snuggled with me watching a sparkling light show on their nightstand and ceiling. This indoor holiday aurora borealis became our bedtime ritual. We were mesmerized by such a simple thing; all the wonders of childhood and the holidays swirled into one. Spellbinding holiday pixie dust for the taking.  

After the inaugural model cracked and sprung a leak, I resisted replacing “spinny thing” for several years. Our “little” girls were nearing 24 after all, and in the interest of fiscal responsibility, light-up Christmas baubles were no longer a necessity for yuletide wonder. But this mom was missing the magic of that shimmering snapshot in time when the enchantment of Christmas lit up our entire being.

Time is a thief. Years click by and bigger kids with older eyes perceive holidays through a different lens. The innocence and complete wonder of childhood inevitably matures. Once-simple pleasures inevitably fade or get buried completely. So, as I wandered a local gift shop with a friend recently, I found myself inexplicably drawn to a display of illuminated Christmas items, many with swirling luminescence. Timing is everything, and right then and there a spark re-ignited my dormant holiday soul. Despite my years of resistance, when their light turned MY light back on, I impulsively grabbed another spinny tree and headed for the register. Practicality got the heave-ho in my quest to re-experience some youthful ho-ho-ho seasonal magic. 

My daughters laughed when I fessed up to what I had done. But I reminded them to never forget their childhood, to NEVER turn their backs on what lights them up intellectually, creatively, spiritually, personally, or whimsically. It ALL matters. And that day, in that gift shop, connections and memories gloriously resurfaced despite it being a few months before “the most wonderful time of the year.”

I must admit my replacement spins a bit slower than the original. And then again, so do I. But the colors are every bit as vibrant. It’s a wonderful metaphor on aging. We don’t really lose our magnetism, and, if only to have more time to ponder and be grateful, I’m happy to spin a bit slower. 

The little tree’s swirling vibrance also reminds me of the joy of lonely shepherds on a dark night seeing the brightest, sparkling star they had ever witnessed, one that drew them in and led them to the biggest gift of all  –what Christmas is really about. 

So yes, a simple plastic pine with its vibrant moving core has captured quite a bit of awe for such a small footprint. I chuckle every time I fire it up and settle in to watch it do its thing. And for those of you who know me and may wonder if wine is involved, I can assure you it’s not. It’s pure childhood and spiritual fascination at its best.

I hope, dear readers, that we never lose our sense of wonder over what may seem trivial or unnecessary. The simple things often evoke the strongest warmth and greatest gifts of life. After all, a low-key birth in a stable brought great joy to so many people. And like children at Christmas, we never know what may light us up. It may very well be the special nudge we need.

Merry Christmas!