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I never really enjoy the actual task of assembling my artificial Christmas tree, but once it's up and decorated, I love looking at it. There are so many memories in those ornaments that it's comforting to me to see them displayed for the weeks surrounding Christmas. This year was filled with trials and uncertainty, and for that reason I think this tree offered even more to help soothe my soul.

I committed earlier this year to read my scriptures every day. Each morning I'd get up and flip the switch to turn on the tree lights, and then I’d open my scriptures and read with the warm glow of the tree in front of me.  

As the days passed by, I realized that this tree had become a symbol of peace for me.   One day I told my husband I was enjoying the tree so much that I thought I’d just leave it up all year.  I expected him to laugh or tease me about it, but he didn’t.  He said it was fine with him.

A few days later I was listening to a conservative talk radio show and the host had asked people to call in and share Christmas traditions with the listeners.  One woman talked about taking a family photo and having each member of the family sign the back of it as their commitment to Christ.  Another talked about baking a cake to celebrate the birthday of Jesus.  Another one said she left her artificial Christmas tree up all year.  That one got my attention.  The host said that one year he talked his wife into letting him leave theirs up all year.  He said it became a real topic of conversation when people came to his house and suggested that we try it.

That was all it took!  I made the decision to leave the tree up all year.

This week I took the Christmas decorations off the tree.  I packed away all of the Santa, snowmen, and winter things, but I left the stars and the hearts on the tree.  Some might think it looks pretty barren, but to me, it looks clean.  I can focus on the few things that mean something to me instead of being overwhelmed with a lot of ornaments.  I removed the white Christmas tree skirt with the sleigh design and replaced it with a piece of red fabric with a tiny gold heart design.  It will help the transition from Christmas to Valentine’s Day.

In wondering whether or not this was really going to work, I let my mind wander over the next twelve months.   I was surprised to find that there's something to celebrate each and every month!

January – My mother’s birthday.  My mother, who lives with us, has a January birthday and this year she will be 86 years old.  What a great place to display all of her birthday cards.

February – Valentine’s Day.  I love hearts, and am drawn to anything with hearts on it.  It’s also my husband’s birthday, so we’ll hang his cards on the tree.  Here in Houston, it's also the month of the national rodeo, so I could use a cowboy theme. I already have a few western ornaments - a boot, an armadillo, and the Texas star.

March – St. Patrick’s Day.  With any luck, I will get the grandkids to make 4 leaf clovers to hang on the tree.  Maybe we’ll just make a green chain out of construction paper like we used to do when I was a kid.  Who knows what you will create when you've got paper, scissors and glue!

April – Easter.    It seems fitting that the tree we use to focus on His birth will also be the tree that represents His resurrection. It reminds me of the story, "The Giving Tree," by Shel Silverstein. It's a story about a tree who loves a boy so much that he gives all he has to make him happy. It's a book that every home should have in their library. 

May – Mother’s Day.    What a great place to display my Mother’s Day cards? How many more years will I have to share the "display tree" with my mother?

June -  Father’s Day.   Same thing. Maybe I could decorate the tree with old ties!

July – Independence Day.  I can show our patriotism by decorating to celebrate our nation’s birthday.  Oh, I can’t wait for that one!  Red, white, and blue decorations with plenty of stars.

August -  I might just decide that I like the July tree so much that I’ll leave it up a bit longer.

September -  Back to School.    If you really wanted to get creative, you could tie pencils, rulers, and erasers to the tree.  October -  Halloween.  I can see orange and black streamers wrapped around the tree.  It’s also my birthday.   I always get cards from friends all over the country and it’s hard to find room to display them all.   This will give me a great place to showcase every card.     November - Thanksgiving!  Just think how nice it will be to already have the tree up!   My friends will all be scrambling to drag theirs out of the attic, or rushing to buy a live tree.  I’ll be able to kick back and do something that’s a lot more fun.

December – Christmas.  Another year gone by. Another year to spend time reflecting upon. Another birthday celebration for our Savior. Another reminder to be a little kinder, to serve others, to be Christlike in all my thoughts and actions.

Like this radio host said, it is going to be fun to see the reactions people have when they walk into my home and see the tree in the corner. I'm sure I'll take a lot of teasing from them when at first glance they think I'm such a procrastinator that I haven't even taken my tree down, but when I tell them the purpose for leaving it up, I think they'll be surprised. Copyright 2006 by Joyce Moseley Pierce.