The Holiday Glow

December 7, 2014
Day 221

Yesterday, I finally began putting up my Christmas decorations.  I don't go overboard, and I don't have a large house anyway, but I like to do my best.

Some parts of the process always remain the same, like the placement of the real Christmas tree we buy each year so it's safely away from the fireplace and radiators.  I like to keep the holiday houses on the mantel above the fireplace too, sometimes with different elevations created by books underneath the fake snow.  Other decorations I switch up fairly often, trying out new ideas each year.

No matter where a Santa Claus or snowman decoration is placed though, the overall goal is always the same: creating a beautiful, magical glow to the house. 

Soft lighting in as many different places as possible works best, with as many pops of color as I can squeeze in too.  It takes a long time to achieve all this, especially considering the mess of boxes I start with, but somehow I always get it done, and always feel great about the results.

But why do I really do all this decorating?  Why do I spend so much time?  Because Christmas, for me, is so much about every Christmas I've ever experienced.  It brings me back to my awesome childhood, and the many fun Christmases my parents and family gave me year after year.  I want my guests to feel this magic as much as I do, and to bask not just in the glow I've created through a series of decorations, but in the glow of their own fond memories too.

Each Christmas is every Christmas.  It's another chance to tap into the one Christmas we believe in our hearts goes on forever.  It's a holiday glow we never lose, but only rekindle this time of year.  We spend so much time preparing our homes and hearts for just one day each year because it's never about just one day.  It's about how this special feeling glows within us, and wants to glow forever.