Memories of the Greatest Gifts

‘Twas the night before Monday, and all through our house, not a mantel was covered, not even… I can’t make it work after that. But as you might have guessed, last night was the night for our family: the time when the boxes of Christmas decorations make the short trek from our garage to the rooms inside our home. This task excites me and our children; it sounds like work to Mrs. Burns. But, alas, when the tree is up and the ornaments are hung and the cinnamon pinecones fill the air, my wife smiles and starts to enjoy the spirit of the season. The various inanimate objects we place around our house evoke actual emotions inside of me. I feel more like its Christmastime than I did just hours before our efforts began.
 
The best (and most bittersweet) feelings are generated by the ornaments we hang on our tree. “Baby’s First Christmas 1999” still hangs for our son who is now a rather tall 17-year-old, a life passage achieved in just the blink of an eye. “Middle Child” still hangs for our spunky, hilarious daughter who became a freshman in high school when I wasn’t looking. And then there’s our third child; hmm, do we have something for her? She always seems to be left out or forgotten. I’m only half-kidding; we have a few ornaments for her as well. My favorite is one with a photo of her beautiful little face with that smile that’s part joy, part mischief, and part something no one will ever understand. The memories of all those Christmases past, marked by emblems staring out from the tree each December day, focus my thoughts on one of my greatest blessings: the children God entrusted to me, who have changed my life (for the better) in ways I could never have imagined. They are the best gifts I could receive in this world because they are not just my kids, they are children of the Greatest Giver ever known.
 
Troy Burns