Another way in which I am a perfectionist is with my Christmas tree. Whether fresh or fake, the decorations must be placed just so on the tree. I have many ornaments to hang and they all mean something special to me. Each year I buy at least two more ornaments, sometimes three. One is for Sweet Girl and one is for the family. I like the family ornament to say something about our year or what is important to us. This year I had a struggle finding the perfect ornament for our family. I must have searched 3 or 4 different stores. Champs and I went to Hallmark and couldn't find anything there that spoke to us. We found a beautiful Irish girl doll ornament for Sweet Girl, but nothing for us. I had pretty much given up.
Tonight I had to run to Target to get a filter for my vacuum cleaner. While I was there, I noticed that the Christmas stock had been marked down to 75% off so I strolled through to see what was left. And I found it; the perfect ornament for 2005.
You see, 2005 has been a hard year for me and Champs. We expected to move to IL, but due to health issues for both of us, we are still here. We have struggled financially. We've worked on projects that took months and moths to complete. We spent months prepping our house to sell and waiting for a buyer. Then December hit. The darkest hour is just before the dawn, or so they say. So true. All of my personal struggles came to a head in December. The first two weeks of the month were so hard that I could barely write in my blog. However, the last two weeks of December began to pull things together. We got some pressing business solved, we sold our house and found short-term rental housing at a great price. Champs and I made a new commitment to a financial plan and for the first time I began to feel something I haven't felt in a long time. I have a new sense that things will get steadily better and we will finally begin to move forward on plans that are more than a year old.
And so, the ornament that I found today is perfect. It is silver with a pave-encrusted front and it hangs from a pure white ribbon, front and center on our beautiful tree. It will bring in 2006 with us tomorrow. You see, it proclaims just one beautiful word: HOPE.
Here's some comments from this post:
Geekwif said...
Hey, I was with you on that Target run and I didn't see that ornament. It sounds lovely! Did you hide it? Did you go back later?
I'm just so confused.
Blond Girl said...
Later in the evening after our Target run, I went to Cub for snackies and then on to the Crystal Target for a new hepa filter for the vacuum. That's why you didn't see it. Trust me, if I had found it while you were there, you would have oo'd and ah'd over its perfection with me. You'll see it later today, I'm sure. I can't wait for you to see your Christmas present!
princssis said...
More than one Target visit in one day? Oh, the life!
Pardon me, but what does "pave-encrusted" mean?
Regardless, your ornament sounds beautiful. Congratulations on the find!
Shannin said...
I get a few new ornaments each year. I didn't do it last year since we had only been in the house 6 weeks and things weren't going well. This year, I made up for it and shelled out $$$ for a Christopher Radko Minnesota state ornament. It's very nice, and commemorates our move to "the great white north."
Your new additions sounds lovely, and very indicative of the future.
Sandy said...
Sounds beautifully perfect.
Russ said...
Sometimes God sends us little messages of HOPE...
Melonie said...
I think we all need a little HOPE. This was a wonderful post.
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