Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I love the excitement of gift giving, the sound of the carols and let’s not forget all the special recipes that are often made this time of year. But my favorite activity is decorating our home. I have carried on my Mom’s tradition of decorating every room of the house. Not in excess but a little something as a reminder of the beautiful season we are in.

Decorating the tree is the first thing we do and this is what I love most. The ornaments I have are all very special to me because each one has a particular meaning. When our sons were young I started buying a new ornament every year. I would choose one that represented a particular event that occurred in our family that year. I have a saxophone for when Mark started band, a snowboard when David took lessons, ones from each of the schools they attended, a US Army one when David joined the military and so many more. I still continue this tradition to this day.

But for as many “family” ornaments as I have, most of the ones on the tree have been given to me as gifts from friends and I remember who gave me each one. I have such a variety of shapes and sizes. The array of colors bring such sparkle as they reflect in the tree lights. It warms my heart to think of all these people and the memories we shared. As I take each ornament out of its special box and place it on the tree, I say a prayer for that friend and their family. I pray they will have a blessed Christmas season and feel gratitude for the blessing of Jesus’ birth. Many of these people I have lost contact with through the years. They include previous bosses, physicians I used to work with, coworkers and friends from cities where we used to live. Even though I don’t know where many of them are now, saying a prayer for them helps me rekindle the memories we shared.

When the Christmas season comes to a close, we always take our tree down on New Years Day. As I gently take each ornament off and pack it in its individual box, I say another prayer for each person. I pray our Lord will bless them and their loved ones in the coming year. Then all the decorations are packed away and stored for another year. I may not think about each of those friends throughout the year but I know next Christmas I will remember them, our memories together and my prayers will be with them once again.

Say a prayer for a friend or family member you may have lost touch with. It is a wonderful Christmas gift. 

“I thank my God every time I remember you.”      Philippians 1:3