My childhood Christmas tree. 🎄
One strand of popcorn draped across it. 🍿➰

If only I had known the significance of that popcorn strand. The loving worn hands of my mom who threaded that needle.
Us kids trying to push the needle through without crumbling the popcorn into pieces. Eating more than we were “stringing” as we called it.

As the years went by, my tree got a little less Charlie Brown-ie & a little more twinkly.

Less popcorn & tinsel & more presents.

I soon realized the tree wasn’t what was important. It was a symbol used to draw people closer together.

It was an excuse to put presents under it. Presents to show others that we cared.
Symbols used in history and in religion to represent a concept or belief.

The presents, the popcorn, the tree; all for a good purpose.
As the people around these trees that span 50 some years of my life, leave, I’m left with a deep longing for a simpler time.
I want to go back and just sit with my mama and tell her thank you.

Thank you for trying. Thank you for giving me life. Thank you for teaching me that material things don’t matter. Thank you for believing in Jesus when you had virtually nothing material to your name.

Thank you for being a fighter for children. At the time I thought it was spoiling them but now I see that it was all you had to give. Your effort, your time, your love..the only way you knew how.

People love the only way they know how.

As my favorite guru Matt Kahn always says,

People are doing the best can, when they know better they do better.

My mama didnt have much, or even know much education-wise but she knew how to make Christmas special for us and she knew how to believe.

Most of all she knew how to love. 🎄🤶💘🥁💘🤶🎄
Merry Christmas