The Angel on Top of the Tree

What sits on top of your tree?  Is it an Angel? A Star? A vintage tree topper? Would it surprise you to know that more years than not we don’t have a tree topper?

It is true.  Not because I don’t own a tree topper, I do.  In fact I have at least 3.  I have a red ornate vintage (but plastic) tree topper that I grew up with.  Truth be told my mom did not love it, so I think it might have come from her parents.  It is possible it was something she and my dad acquired in their short marriage but it doesn’t look like the 1970 pier one stuff they purchased together.  Kathleen hates it.  She loves that it is something I grew up with, but the few times we have used it she has rolled her eyes.  “Oh that tacky thing?” have been words I have heard her utter.

There is also a tin angel I got from my mom.  She bought it in Nogales, Mexico when I was growing up.  It doesn’t sit very well on a tree, it is too short and too wide.  It does work well with a southwestern styled tree though, but that is probably Kat’s least favorite tree decoration theme.

For years we used an angel that Kat made from paper twist ribbon and a manila file folder.  I liked it because Kat made it, and because it was something uniquely ours when we were just starting out in our marriage.  The first one she made was red, but in recent years it has started to look a little tired.  We also have a tan/brown version that she made and we never used that has made it on top our tree since we moved to Colorado.    

This year the boys wanted to use a red and white Santa hat on top of the tree in the family room.  They thought it was very funny.  I agreed it was funny, but when I asked if they really thought Mama would like it.  Paul said probably not, and Matthew said “if Gramma hears about it, we are all in for it!”  So the hat came off and I managed to get a gold wire angel to rest on top of the tree. 

In 2004 after Kat’s parents had moved to Oklahoma, we visited First Baptist Church OKC for their traditional Christmas Eve family service.  Part of the family service was a children’s sermon led by Susan Stephenson who was the children’s minister at that time.  She sat all the children, including my Paul and my Matthew, down and asked them what was on top of their Christmas tree.  I had a few minutes of panic, because I was afraid she would single out Paul or Matthew and they would tell the world we had a parrot on top of our Christmas tree that year.

Kat had rescued an African Grey parrot from the front porch that year, and although we were not able to return it to its rightful owners, the woman who came and collected the bird rewarded Kat with $500 and in recognition of that, I decorated the tree with birds, and put a green parrot on top. 

Hey!  At least it was festive!