Snowmen playing in the tree

I was  placing a tiny snowman in a wintry wonderland in one of the windowsills. He was enjoying himself with his sled and all the other snowmen, Santas, fairies and reindeer that was populated every windowsill, some tabletops and part of the kitchen counter. Just then our youngest came home from school with all his friends in tow and found their places around the kitchen table. They loved to do their homework together and of course do some testing on whatever I had baked. Marveling they went from one tableau to another, finding all the tiny details.

It was fun of course, and part of the tradition. I remember how we always looked for the small Santas my parents hid all over the house. Then I had a weird feeling, as if I saw it all from the outside. I saw myself spending the rest of my life, or at least Decembers, carrying boxes up from the basement, doing everything just as it used to be. I saw children growing older, coming home from college, coming home with their kids, always expecting everything to be as it used to be. To someone with limitless energy, it would be fun. I, on the other hand, was ill much of the time, and my decorating bouts had to be done on the days I was able to do it. Did I really have to, or want to, do it?

That made me think, I’d better rethink this decorating thing. If this is what I am going to do, I’d better make it what I  would love to keep doing no matter what.

Resolutely I said to our son, this is a Christmas decoration contest. You may decide what you like most! They decided on the six woolen snowmen I had made to look like small children playing in the snow. The rest? I put most of it back in its boxes, labeled them carefully, put the date on them, 1999, and took them back into the basement. Where they still are. Not gone, the children may take all they want when they leave home. The rest was donated to a thrift store. Since then the six snowmen are playing happily every winter, sometimes in the window, sometimes hidden in the tree. Pure joy, totally free of fuss.

Come play in the snow

Believe me, I know better than most how frantic and exhausting it is possible to make the season of peace and goodwill. The main story on Indexyourlife in December will be my way to a Christmas free of tangles.

In December my brother and I write an advent calendar blog together in norwegian.You may visit at  JULEFRYD or Christmas Joy. This year we will be writing or sharing thoughts and joys of gifts, giving and sharing. We will post there every day, and I will share some of that blog here on indexyourlife too.

All pictures at Indexyourlife are mine, if not otherwise stated.