December
This Month’s Trimmings
All the way from South Africa, the wooden star travelled, to be pitched on the tip of the tree, representing the light of newness. We did not realise it then, but we had to look with the eyes of our heart and not only with the rational mind to see the Light.
During the years in our new land (18), we’ve collected colourful small trimmings – each with its own story. The tree used to look somewhat boring with odds and ends compared to pretty colour-coded trees of friends.
As I decorated the tree again, same old trimmings, I’m seeing…
Our tree has many soft dolls: our ‘Dolly’ fills our lives. She had respite care for a few days giving us time to ‘be normal’. We celebrated 26 hard, joyful, blessed, messy, interesting years with her. We are still smiling.
Many different hearts: we appreciate each other. We love our children, our family in South Africa (we miss being together), our friends. The children and their dogs spent Christmas Day with us. We are grateful for strangers welcoming our message through life stories, especially when Wim shares.
Cuddly bears: we could sleep in and linger in pj’s until…
Delicate glass balls: the final church service with our retired pastor and his wife was emotional; even more so as we helped them pack up to move to England. They lived the life they taught. We are rich.
Strings of lights: farmers in the area decorated their tractors and trailed through villages providing a colourful spectacle.
For the first time in many years, Wim and I visited the Grand Place (picturesque market square) in Brussels to see the huge tree, a gift of gratitude from the municipality of Stavelot, in the Ardennes. Stavelot was a rampart for Brussels in the last Nazi German offensive rank, during the war. Brussels adopted Stavelot in 1945 providing aid in many forms.
This year, maybe for the first time, I ‘saw’ our odds-and-ends-tree – one long story of Goodness and Presence. We are grateful and there’s room for more odds and ends to add!
