The First Star

We started talking about the tree last week.
(Note to self, do not casually mention things to Husband when 3-year-old is within hearing distance!)

Me: We'll need to get the tree out of storage, I think I'll need some help getting it down...
Husband: O- (gets cut off by the three year old, who comes tearing into the kitchen from his room)
3YO: Are we decorating the Christmas tree TODAY?? RIGHT NOW?

We took the tree out of storage and set it up on Thursday. My son helped fluff up a branch or two, then took on the role of supervisor, watching me shrewdly from the arm chair, commenting when I seemed to be working too slowly, or missed turning a pine cone. This was important work and I needed to take it seriously, you see.

On Friday, we (ahem, I) did the lights. The dreaded lights. My Dad always took care of those, thank you! One year I helped a friend decorate her mother's gorgeous 3 meter tree, I told my son. After a couple of hours we got strings and strings of lights on, perfectly spaced, only to end up with the plug at the top of the tree. Oops. He grinned. Silly Mummy. Our tree is much smaller, and I plugged the lights on before I began, just in case. 

Saturday, December first. He woke up so excited you'd have thought it was Christmas Day. He took his time, carefully considering the placement of ornaments. I focused on reminiscing- that ornament is from Russia, this one was a gift from Nana - until he asked me to stop. "I can't concentrate with all the talking, Mummy!" 

I love decorating the tree, and have been known to rearrange ornaments for days, weeks even, until I had it just so. Today, though, I relegated myself to unpacking ornaments, hanging the especially delicate ones at the "tippity top of the tree", and entertaining the baby. It was a time to hold back, to let him take the lead. Yes, at first 3 ornaments on the same branch here and a group of same-patterned balls all together there were calling out to me to be moved. But his precious face, how carefully he handled each item, the light in his eye... And when his Papa lifted him up to put the star on the tippity top, oh, the joy! The wonder!

Charlie Brown knew it. The perfect tree is not the perfectly decorated tree. Rather the imperfect tree is made perfect through the lens of love, and isn't that what it's all about? 

Love came down at Christmas, 

Love, a lovely Love Divine. 

Love was born at Christmas

Stars and Angels gave the sign.