For years and years and years, we've had an angel on the top of the tree. The particular angel we've had is one I found my very first Christmas living on my own. This beautiful, simple little angel is about 25 years old (Oh my gosh! How in the world did *that* happen? 25 years old? No way! No. freakin'. way. Nothing makes me feel as old as times like this when I look back thinking "What? 15 years ago?" only to realize it's been much, much longer than that. But I digress....) and I love it. LOVE.IT.
Friday night when we were putting up the tree little miss thing began insisting that we had a star for the top and demanding to know where we had put it. We both told her that no, we didn't have a star. We had this great angel who sat on the top of the tree. No dice. The girl insisted we had a star. She insisted so hard that she flopped to the floor in an all out tantrum demanding to know where it was. Her beautiful, beautiful (non-existent) star.
I assured her once again that we did not have a star but if it was that important to her then we could look at the stores the next time we were out to see if we could find one that would work. My evil mommy plan was to pacify the over-tired girl to give us enough time for it to blow over...as is usually the case.
Only this time...no such luck.
Yesterday, we gave in. We took her to the decoration section of the local one-stop shopping place and much to
I honestly think I died a little inside when she picked the gold star and refused to look at other options.
She proudly carried her star to the check out and we brought it home with the promise that I would immediately place it atop the tree.
Did anyone hear me whimpering when I removed my angel? I tried to be grown up about and I only pouted out of the eye sight of the kids but still.....ugh. We have a gold star on the top of our tree.
And another piece of "me" has been chipped away.
Dramatic? Maybe. But this angel has been with me all of my adult life and it really did feel like yet another sacrifice made for the happiness of my family. So while I don't like the star (at all) I know it brings the littlest member of our family extreme joy (the other two really don't care though I did hear Dakota say that she liked the star). And making my family happy is what it's all about.
The angel is now sitting on top of the china hutch. But someday I know she will back on the top of the tree where she belongs. :)
4 comments:
Sorry about the angel. Maybe she and the star can share the top of the tree? I'd suggest just putting the angel back up, but I know a 3 year old's memory is better than that.
I had a little angel, not unlike yours, that topped my tree for probably about 20 years. She was becoming admittedly a bit tattered with time, but she was *my* angel. When my then adult daughter bought a beautiful lighted Father Christmas for the top of the tree, it was very difficult for me to part with my angel. I knew it was time, but it was still difficult. I'm not overly sentimental about most things, but that was one I had to deal with. Now, some 10-15 years later, I'm comfortable with Father Christmas, but the little simple, unlighted angel still goes somewhere in the house!
We have switched off and I honestly cannot remember if we have a star or angel for our tree now. I like both!
Oh what we give up as a mommy.
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