I conducted an experiment last year. I left four hand blown glass ornaments up all year long. It was easy to do, as they are big, festive baubles, placed in the upper windows of our sunroom. When it came time last January to put away the Christmas decorations, something made me hesitate when it came to these four.
First of all, they were made by Waterford Glass, the Irish company that I believe now makes all of its products in Poland or some other country besides Ireland. Why that is is one of those mysteries that we all have to contend with in life. Anyhow, the ornaments were there, and I looked at them and thought “what if I leave them?” They are truly beautiful to look at and, in some way, it seemed a shame to put them back into a box, cover that box, put it in a container and haul it with the other decorations back to their 11-month hibernation in the barn attic.
So, I left them hanging.
All through Spring and into Summer, during the warm days of the year, I would glance up at these four ornaments, each representing a season of the year. And I would chuckle at the fact they are holiday decorations, but somehow right in place for each passing day. Guests either thought our family strange and were polite enough to not say anything or were oblivious to what they really are. Either way, they suddenly didn’t feel out of place to me.
It was a revelation of some sort to hold onto that magic of Christmas and keep it preserved somewhere all year round. I have seen people who have done that with artificial trees, decorating them for St. Patrick’s, The Fourth of July and onward. I always felt those people were a bit crazy for having something so large in their living room that screamed “I am a Christmas Tree!” But for me, my little experiment tapped into what I hope most of them are thinking. That we need to carry a bit of that holiday spirit the year round. They became a reminder to me that every day is a holiday of some sort. A celebration of life, of love and a reminder of how blessed I am to be who I am, surrounded by those I love. And to be aware of how many people in this world don’t have that opportunity. They became an attitudinal adjuster, a philosophic art installation and an inspiration to enjoy the kid that is in me.
So, here we are, and the four ornaments are still in place, in sync with the season, I guess. I could take them down in a month and perhaps I will.
But most likely, I won’t.
Read Martin's other post here.