NEW CASTLE —
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” — Dr. Seuss
When the kids were small, one of our Christmas traditions was quite simple — and a little embarrassing, I must admit.
Each year we would race to a local vendor and try to break a world’s record for how quickly we could secure a live tree.
If I may boast for a moment, our times weren’t too shabby. We started out at 12 minutes, then improved to nine minutes and, finally, to a personal best of four minutes in 2007.
But like most people, we started slowing down a bit as we grew older.
So last year, we started a new tradition. We now venture to an area farm, take a hay ride into the fields, then track down the perfect tree.
We examine. We shake. We debate. We take photos. We look some more.
Most important, we take a deep breath and relish the beauty of the wooded area around us.
Then we do it all over again until we reach consensus on a tree.
After about an hour or so on the hill, we pull out the saw and cut. My son David and I drag the tree to the bottom, hitch a ride on the tractor and we all cap the morning with a cup of hot cocoa.
Priceless.
I wish we would have started doing this long ago.
Come to think of it, there are plenty of things I wish I would have done differently back in the day. And at this time of year those thoughts become extremely powerful.
Trimming our tree gets those “nostalgia” juices flowing even more.
We aren’t just hoisting boxes of lights, ornaments and garland from the basement. Those boxes are filled with plenty of unique memories as well.
With each shiny star or red bulb my wife and I pulled from the box, we were taken back to yet another special year, another improbable event or another inspirational circumstance.
•“Remember when Carly ...”
•“Wow, has it really been 10 years? ...”
•“This one’s from our first apartment ...”
•“David’s teacher gave him that ...”
To that end, I would argue that the greatest gifts we receive aren’t under the tree.
They’re hanging on it.
And my prayer this Christmas is that you, too, will take a moment to reflect on all those special blessings you’ve received through the years.
Maybe you were too busy to notice them as they happened, but now you have a second chance to recognize those precious moments exactly for what they were — precious moments.
Gifts from a loving Father.
The gospel affords the same opportunity to those who celebrate the birth of our savior each December.
Just like a special ornament, time stands still when we read from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John. The story never changes. The meaning never changes. The key players don’t change either.
But thank God that the Greatest Story Ever Told continues to change us.
With each passing Christmas — as we return to Bethlehem where it all began — we continue to grow into our sanctification, just like we did with the sweater from Aunt Norma that was three sizes too large.
As Martin Luther so brilliantly stated in his Lectures on Romans, “To progress is always to begin again.”
Real spiritual progress, in other words, requires a daily going backward.
Back to the field.
Back to the tree.
Back to the ornaments.
Back to the manger.
Back to The One we celebrate on Dec. 25.
His name is Jesus.
The greatest gift of all.
Merry Christmas, everyone.
Tim Kolodziej
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About Tim Kolodziej: Tim is director of new media at The News. His blog appears each Thursday.
Discussion
Tim Kolodziej: New Christmas tradition takes me back in time
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