We are in the homestretch of what is sure to be a Christmas we will never forget, although many may want to given the state of lockdowns and coronavirus.
This year, with two teenagers in the house, it will likely be a much different feel on Christmas morning. Gone are the days of little ones sneaking down the stairs while it was still dark out, only to be sent back to their rooms so mom and dad can get just one more hour of sleep.
I suspect this year we will be the ones waking our children up telling them it is time to open presents. I seem to recall when I was a teenager, I too wanted to sleep in and had to be stirred from my bed. I then wanted to wait until I had been up at least long enough to comb my hair and grab some breakfast before opening gifts because of all the photos being taken.
We purchased a new artificial tree as our other tree had enjoyed many wonderful Christmases, but was truly showing wear and tear. It’s never a good thing when you have to overfill a tree with ornaments just to hide all the huge gaps.
We also made the decision to switch to white lights this year instead of multi-colored lights. It was not a decision I entered into lightly (pun intended).
My wife has always preferred white lights, while I have always been partial to multi-colored lights as they reminded me of my childhood. When our kids were little, we took a vote on what type of lights we would use, and colored was always the choice.
I also had a nifty set of colored lights that could be changed to a variety of dizzying settings that could either give off a soft twinkle or light up our room like Las Vegas if I so chose.
I nursed those lights through burned out bulbs over the years. It always seemed to be the blue bulbs that went out, which is odd. Sadly, those lights started acting out on me last year, with more than half of the colors going dark, leaving a half-lit tree Christmas.
Thanks to post-Christmas sales, I managed to snag a set of programmable white lights for a fraction of the cost last year and made the decision to go all white — with still a bit of twinkle mixed in.
And now as we are nearing the end of the tree season, I can honestly say that while I still prefer color, there is something sophisticated and elegant about an all-white tree. Maybe it is the warm glow the lights seem to give off, or the fact that you can turn off all your other lights and still see comfortably in your living room.
Christmas is sure to be different this year, but that doesn’t mean it can’t still be enjoyable. Sure, we won’t be visiting with as many family members or friends this year. But that does not mean we won’t be thinking of them.
Joseph Cyr is the assistant editor/senior reporter for the BDN weekly newspapers. He can be reached at 532-2281 or via email at jcyr@bangordailynews.com
