I put away Christmas today...

I put away Christmas today. It was really hard for me. And a bit sad.

My Christmas tree. And my coffee table. That's what I want to talk about. 

My Christmas tree was very little. The size that is perfect for a front bay window or a child's bedroom. Mine was in my living room. 

My very own Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

"I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It's not bad at all, really. 

Maybe it just needs a little love"- Linus Van Pelt

It had white lights, a blue lit star on top, lots of little blue, white, and silver bows, and many a Pensacola, Fl ornament. 

This is the first Christmas tree I've had in five years. My last roommate was allergic to pine and didn't like the smell. There was also an aversion to artificial trees, so needless to say, we never had one.

This is also the first time in 34 years that I have lived by myself. I love it. The freedom is divine. When I moved in I was able to decorate how I wanted to; my color choices, my taste, my idea of cozy and inviting.

So... When Christmas rolled around this year I got really excited to make my little house something special.

I actually had a box of Christmas stuff, believe it or not. It consisted of eleven stained glass angel ornaments (All sent from my Godmother. She has sent me an angel of some kind every year for my birthday and Christmas for as long as I can remember!), a handful of other assorted ornaments, two Robert Sabuda Christmas pop up books, a silver plated nativity set that my mom gave me years ago, and four silver pine cone candles, that smell like fresh pine, that my sister gave me.

I was so excited to finally be able to decorate a tree of my own, that I decorated the heck out of that thing! See???

 

Now, to my coffee table. It started out as just my nativity and the silver pine cones and the pop up books. Like this...

I loved it. But, then it got better. And better. 

As I checked my mail everyday the Christmas cards came pouring in. I got cards from Oz (love you Sparks!), many from MD, PA, FL, and here in VA. I got tons! I have gotten Christmas cards in the past, don't get me wrong, but this year, maybe because I had a new address, I don't know, I got LOTS. Opening the mail was a treat everyday!

I moved the pop up books and began to display all my cards on my coffee table. (I kick myself now for not taking a picture of it! Grrr.) I would sit in my big, comfy chair and a half and just stare at all of the amazing people that God has blessed my life with. They were all over my coffee table; smiling, hugging, bundled up, laughing, and completely and totally full of joy. It was a GREAT coffee table. No room for my coffee, but I didn't care a lick. The table had new purpose.

So... yes. It was tough and sad to put it all away today.

I was away in Florida for two weeks for break, and while I was gone my tree dried out and died. Like, "OUCH! That hurt!!" kind of dried out! Taking it down and throwing it out was somewhat painful, but it was also sort of symbolic of my struggles this last year and my hopes for this new year.

Last year was tough for me in a lot of ways. No need to get into it on a blog, but let's just say it was. My tiny, dead, dry tree was symbolic of a lot of last year for me. However, the presents underneath and the ornaments on it it were also symbolic of a lot of last year for me. I'll explain...

I walked across the parking lot and threw my dead and dry tree in the dumpster. As I was walking back to my apartment I was staring at the ground and I began to notice a trail of dried pine needles- from my little Charlie Brown tree. I felt like Hansel and Gretel following the trail of bread crumbs to find their way home. I came inside and pulled out the vacuum cleaner. As I cleaned my carpet and listened to all the little pine needles hitting the inside of the canister, I thought about that trail of dead, dried needles. All those little needles are all the junk from last year; they are either in the dumpster, in the parking lot to get run over, or getting sucked up never to be seen again. The gunk and unhappy from the past is in the past. It can stay there. On the other hand all my ornaments are safely packed up and preserved to be used again next year and all my presents are put away in their proper new homes; the blessings from last year still shine brightly in my heart and in my home. 

It seems silly that we jump on a "fresh start" every January 1st. Can't we take a fresh start whenever we want to?? March 2nd? September 19? Sure we can, but there really is something symbolic about the old passing away and the new ushering in. 

My apartment is clean now. All of my things are back in their proper places and my Scentsy warmer is burning a clean laundry smell that is filling my house.

I really DO get to leave the past behind me and venture into a new year. 

A new me.

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do; forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."- Philippians 3:13-14