Today is the day! ... I think.

                                                     

I think today will be the day the decorations go up!

Yes, today I will get my tree decorated! I am so thrilled... there for awhile I even entertained the thought of not decorating the bare 7 foot artificial tree standing in front of our living room window these past seven days... it seemed even a practical thought as I rationalized between the me who wants the tree decorated and the me who would rather not deal with it.

Yesterday, the conversation went something like this:

Me who would rather not deal with it (Mwwrndwi): You know, Bea, it's only four days til Christmas. Why bother with the tree? You will take it down the day after Christmas... hardly enough time to make it worth your while.

Me who wants the tree decorated (Mwwttd): True, only four days, but Steven will be coming home for Christmas. He loves having the tree up. And where would we put our Christmas gifts? On the floor? On the hearth of the fireplace?

Mwwrndwi: Yes, Steven does like the tree, but he will understand. Especially now that you are sick with some kind of bug that you picked up just a few days ago ... yeah, bad timing, I know, but what's more important now? Getting rest and putting stressful trivial matters to the side, or wearing yourself out once more during your days off this winter break? Need I remind you that you do not get two weeks off this year?... the winter break lasts only 11 days.

Mwwttd: Please don't spoil it all by reminding me about time. I can rest during the week after Christmas. It takes only a couple of hours at the most to put away all of our decorations. And Steve will gladly help with that chore.

Mwwrndwi: Okay, time off aside, let's be practical, then. It would have made more sense to put the tree up last weekend...

Mwwttd: (interrupting, and annoyed): And you know very well last weekend was filled with getting my shopping done, church activities, and preparing school lessons for the upcoming week. Don't even go there.

Mwwrndwi: Okay, okay! I'm just saying that since you didn't have time last weekend, and since you and Steve were really too tired all week after work to bother with it, why even give it a bother now? Only four days til Christmas. You don't have any small children coming over. At least that would be a good reason to put it up. You didn't put up a tree until after your son was born... don't you remember those first three years you had Christmas without a tree?

Mwwttd: I do, and I'm telling you that was one tradition I can remember doing with my family when I was a kid. My parents (and probably my mom) always put the tree up for us kids. And in memory of all those Christmases, and of all those we've shared with our son for the past 27 years, why would I want to stop the tradition now?

Mwwrndwi: You wouldn't exactly be stopping the tradition. You have a small tree you could put up instead... sure, it wouldn't look the same, but it's the thought that counts. All the important Christian symbols you like to hang on the tree could hang on a smaller version. You know you've been considering not putting up a tree before. Admit it. It's a lot of work. And then you got to take it all down.

Mwwttd (softly sighing): Yes, it's true, I have thought about not putting up a tree. Would be nice not to have to worry about getting all those decorations out of the attic, and then putting everything on the tree, then taking them all down and packing it all up within a 2-3 week span. It isn't a practical thing at all when one's time is already given over to so many other important ventures like making or shopping for gifts, writing and sending cards, and cooking and baking for friends and family visits. I love doing all of those things. But setting up and decorating the tree has fallen to the bottom of the list of what's important.

Mwwrndwi: Yeah, I've noticed that. Have you considered one of those prelighted trees? They look nice.

Mwwttd: I have, but I haven't seen one with all the lights I'd like to see on one. They seem to skimp on the lights. If I do see one, though, I will surely consider buying one of those. But only if they can be dismantled because I have no place to keep a tree that has to remain standing whole all year long.

Mwwrndwi: So what are you going to do? I don't want to decorate the tree. It will take only 30 minutes to dismantle the tree and put it away in the attic. You could do that today.

Mwwttd: (eyes light up) Steven is coming over tonight for dinner. I will cook a special family dinner, and he will help me decorate the tree... most importantly, he will help me put the lights on... even better, Steven and Steve could put the lights on.

(with resolve) I am going to put the tree up this year, and we can talk about how we feel about not having a tree up next year over dinner, and the possibility of buying a tree already lit. I'll find out how Steven feels about coming home to a treeless Christmas Eve and morning.

Mwwrndwi: So, yet again you are going to do something to please someone else. Sometimes you are such a wimp.

Mwwttd: No need to start the name calling, Mwwrndwi. It's about family tradition. Some traditions will eventually be passed down to my son... and when he starts putting up a tree in his home, and if there are no grandchildren, then I might think, no tree needed here. But if there are grandchildren you can best believe that this grandma will joyfully put that tree up until her legs won't support her and her arms won't reach.

This discussion is over, Mwwrndwi. The tree is going up because it is our family tradition!

(Mwwttd turns and walks away singing "O Come Let Us Adore Him", and Mwwrndwi nods her head as she watches Mwwttd walk away. She smiles curiously, then shrugs her shoulders, and disappears.)