Don’t go Breaking my Ornament
It’s the time of year to give. Give to charity, give gifts, give cards, give your presence, give the bank a call to increase your credit limit and commonly, give a Christmas tree ornament without anyone asking for one.
A tree ornament is a very popular gift, even though it is not included in many Santa letters. They tell a story. A baby’s first Christmas, a family trip or an embarrassing childhood craft.
Did you know round traditional Christmas tree ornaments are called ‘baubles’? The round shape of the bauble originates from the shape of the original decorating material – fruits and nuts.
If I decorated with fruits and nuts, my tree would be bare by December 4th.
I prefer the traditional Christmas tree with an assortment of decorations that have no colour pattern and where the uglier ornaments are strategically placed… in the front.
There is everything hung on my tree from mice baking in a cup, to a Hawaiian Santa Claus, to a little man with his hands down the side of his pants. (I felt like I needed to specify side of his pants).
No matter what your decorating style is, ornaments give the tree character and apparently, when my co-recreation therapist and I are together, we are characters…
In Inter-with a-view, I was distracted by a resident’s behaviour. Today my co-recreation therapist and I mimicked each other’s behaviour.
Even though it pains me, we begin decorating for the holidays at work before December. That is a generous we. The therapy aides beautifully complete the majority of it.
Everyone’s least favourite part of decorating is taking out and putting away the decorations. It’s like a suitcase – it never goes back in like it came out.
The other day my co-recreation therapist and I were scrambling to get some items ready for the first decorating party. I returned to the storage room to find her with a look of dismay.
The only other time I’ve seen her like this was when I told her I was leaving for two weeks of vacation.
She had pulled one of the carts out from the wall and a large mystery glass object shattered on the floor. I didn’t hear the rest of the story as I was too distracted by the fact that for once, I didn’t do it.
However, I think she was just trying to avoid pushing multiple heavy, awkward carts to the basement.
While she slowly swept, I went to the basement and began to organize. When I moved a cart, I noticed a large bin hanging off the edge. I raced to grab it, but the handle slipped through my sweaty palms and landed on the floor.
With a bang, we now had a teddy bear that looked like the rocking horse took a bite out of him.
When my co-recreation therapist returned, I confessed that I did the same thing by telling her to watch her step. (I should have also told her to stop watching my clumsy behaviour).
Everything considered, many baubles were hung that day, but we sure felt like bauble heads.
