I was calm and reasonable.
Our fully-decorated 10′ tree fell overnight, but I kept calm. I made sure the kids knew the ornaments were only “things,” and I’d take care of the mess. I’d save as much as I could. I’d be careful not to get cut on the glass littering the living room.
Then they went to school, my husband and I (after an hour of sweat and swearing) got it all back up, and I assessed the damage.
I’m a sensible person who understands that things get lost, they break, they get turned to dust under heavy trees. But almost ALL of our more special ornaments are now gone. The Swarovski crystal snowflakes I saved up for and tried to collect, the beautiful glass birds I always hung high to protect from my kids, the one my mom got me when I finally was pregnant (after knowing since I was 15 I might never be), the glass mama bear and her two cubs, my son’s First Christmas one. Dozens just gone. Even our tree-topping star is missing the thing that attaches it now. So it’s just hanging close to the top, perched on some branches.
I know I can get new ones, we’ll make new memories to hang on the tree. But it’s less shiny right now. I’m missing all those little mis-matched symbols of our years as a family so far. And I’m sadder than I thought I’d be.
So I’ll take a day or so to allow myself to be bummed out, then get over it. Stop remembering that my son’s foot was small enough to fit in this ornament when I got it and now it’s gone. I’ll move on, maybe buy something new and shiny. Then give to someone with bigger problems than mine. Because there are many.
But today? I’m gonna allow myself to miss them more than I thought I would.
I’d like to give a quick thank you to everyone who reached out to me on my personal Facebook wall, sharing their support and stories. I had no idea my little moment would strike a chord with so many. I truly appreciate your kindness.
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Oh, Kim, how awful. I’m so sorry. I completely sympathize. As you wrote this, I thought “That’s me!” I love and cherish our ornaments – the special ones – that mean something. Yes, they are just things. But those things call up memories every year when I take them from the box or wrapping. And I love that. I’m so sorry you lost your special ornaments. I really wish I could send you some of mine and somehow make them mean as much as your own did. Be well and Merry Christmas.
So sorry. I think we’ve all been there. In my family we still talk about the miracle of the Grinch ornament. One year our cats pulled down the tree and smashed most of the fragile ornaments. But somehow, miraculously, a blown egg that had been handmade by a college friend in the theme of the Grinch survived the mayhem.