We decorated my parents' Christmas tree on December 23. This was a variation on the theme of decorating on Christmas Eve. When my sister and I were little, Santa would decorate the tree when he stopped by on Christmas Eve with gifts. Christmas mornings were very magical as the tinseled and decorated tree glistened in the moonlight in the living room as dad took his time finding the light switch.

Times change just a little, but the ornaments don't. December 23 was a trip down memory lane as my folks' tree slowly but surely bore witness to decades of family love. We were fortunate to have a beautiful tree that was soft and fragrant--a Christmas universe just with the lights on. Beautiful.

Today's Flowers