The Tinsel Wars of Lakeland, Florida, began approximately in 1975. After wrapping the tree with lights and placing ornaments and the angel topper, Dad took the old box of silver tinsel that was put in a sandwich baggie from the previous year and hung the tinsel strand by strand, placing each intentionally and purposefully. As children, Kelly and I had no patience with this. How boring and slow! We plopped 5 or 6 strands on one branch. Dad, of course, noticed, gently separating them onto numerous branches.
The War progressed as we grew older. Throughout the month of December, we would take a bunch of tinsel strands and purposely clump them in one place, waiting to see how long it would be before Dad would notice. Of course, he did. Of course, he separated them. As we grew older, it became a tradition to continue this game. Each year, as the Christmas season came to an end, each strand was purposefully and intentionally removed and placed back in the old box and back in the sandwich baggie. As busy as my mom and dad were, being this intentional with something as cheap and trivial as tinsel almost seems silly. (P.S. that 49-cent box of tinsel lasted my entire childhood).
Just as tinsel was created to reflect the glow of warm candlelight, it is my goal to soak in the warmth of the glow of friends, of family, of special moments, and of small details and then reflect this warmth to others.
How I love the “glow” of my husband’s desire to help others. Anthony passes on his passion for others in his work on YouTube as HomeGuyWaco. Even as the real estate market shifts and he finds himself busier than ever, he still finds time and joy in helping other agents with technology and questions, and he is always welcoming to anyone and everyone who wanders near our tailgate tent–whether they wear our colors or not.
In January, Andy, our oldest, moved to Reno, Nevada to intern with Tesla as New Product Manager. He now is a full-time employee. He and I got to spend a delightful few days together this summer, soaking up the cool weather and beauty of Tahoe, and fixing up his backyard with a patio table and solar patio lights. He loves what he does, and all of his hard work has paid off. It is such a joy to see him find his purpose.
Jonathan emanates passion and joy, speaking energetically about the Earth, the oceans, and his concern for the environment. He and I have gotten to spend more time together this year, time eating and talking at restaurants, shopping at the grocery store, and trimming an oak tree. Little brings more joy than to see how selfless and loving he is. I dream of big things for him.
The Tinsel Wars continue, even if I have no tinsel on my tree. There are moments throughout the year, especially in December, when I face the decision between intentionality OR a desire to rush past and do things in a hurry. The clock, the obligations, and the Outlook reminders all seem to want me to clump the “tinsel” and move on. Sometimes, though, I make the decision to slow down, focus on each “tinsel strand,” and place it right where it needs to be. Sometimes this means deciding to leave grading behind and sitting in the stillness of my back yard, or acting on the recognition of the hurt and grief in the voice of someone I care about. It might be an email to students who are struggling, an inflatable unicorn gift, a driveway chat with dear neighbors, a listening ear provided, or a hug offered when the need is felt.
My wish for 2023 is that someone shows you the intentional care you deserve, reminding you that as insignificant as you may sometimes feel you are, the truth is that you matter—you are loved. Likewise, my hope is that you are able to reflect this love and warmth in small, deliberate ways to those around you.
The picture above, by the way, was found in a box with my dad's train in it just a few days ago. The box had largely been unopened since my dad's death in 1993. Inside the box were 3 containers of tinsel, including this one with an Eckerd Drug sticker on it inside of a Service Merchandise bag :)
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