”Dad, is it time to put up the tree yet?” James asked, looking hopeful.
Some people put up their Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving, trimming their tree while the turkey cools in the kitchen. We’ve always delayed until a week or two into December before trimming our tree, and the boys have waited with their patience waning a little more in each passing day.
I thought back on my childhood. The tree and the decorations were only the beginning of the season, though. Each endless day brought us closer to a wonderful Christmas morning, but the time simply would not fly. Although we had never used Advent calendars, we still ticked off the days, each one increasing the tension until Christmas Eve finally arrived. Then, the clock actually slowed, each minute seeming to take an hour until bedtime arrived at last. Wound up to a feverish pitch we eluded sleep. Finally, worn out by our excitement, we dropped off. Magic always arrived the next morning.
I looked at Sandi and she smiled giving a slight nod.
“OK, James, but I’ll need help from you and Ian. And no fighting, or we won’t put up the tree.”
The boys helped with little or no squabbling. They did everything I asked, holding strings of lights, yards of garland, finally choosing and hanging the fragile bulbs. Finished, we stood back and admired our tree. James and Ian, proud of their help, began their inner countdown to Christmas morning when they would witness the magic.
We looked at them, basking in their joy and giddy anticipation. They expected the magic to wait until Christmas morning. Sandi and I both knew that was just when they saw it. As we looked at our excited boys, we knew that the magic of Christmas was already with us.
William R. Bartlett lives in Belton with his family.