Our teenagers first Christmas tree

by truthseekeriam 20 Replies latest jw friends

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  truthseekeriam

  We had fun putting together our first artificial tree last week, it came out so pretty! The lights and cheap ornaments just add to it.

  We have been careful to close our blinds at night to avoid our JW neighbors from calling in the elders, that worked for a few days until we decided to go out for an early dinner and yes, I forgot to close the blinds! As we drove up to the garage door I could see the tree in the front room and started to freak out a little. Not for myself but more for my husband who really isn't the confrontational type and wasn't to keen on the whole tree thing in the first place. I apologized to him and he just looked at me and said " I'm not worried, what right do they have to visit us now after ignoring us for so long" I was so relieved that he is moving past the fear he once had :) By the way, he loves the tree and said maybe next year we'll buy a real one!
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  Ding

  The WT operates by fear of men.

  It's great to hear that your family is breaking free.
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  Bruja-del-Sol

  Enjoy this wonderful new experience with your family. I'll never forget my first Christmas tree, a very small artificial one. I just loved it, so it stayed in the livingroom until February :D
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  AlphaMan

  This is such a great story. An X-JW enjoying the simple joy of a Christmas tree. I do however know what you mean. It took me several years to get over the fear of JW's seeing me do something against their rules.
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  Gypsy Sam

  My teen and I decorated our first one, too. She also wanted to get a Menorah and light that during Hanukkah. Cozy times and new memories as we build our new life.
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  Faithful Witness

  Our tree is mostly decked in cheap ornaments. Each year, we take our kids to a big Christmas store and let them choose a special one. There are also several homemade ornaments, that the kids made in preschool. We make some together. We also lose a few cheapies along the way, as some break or we discard them. We look forward each year, to getting out the ornaments and hanging them on the tree, like memories. We love our memory tree. It gets better every year. There are even ornaments for pets gone by. Haha.

  (BTW we have a pre-lit tree, and love it hahaha)

  Good for you! It is wonderful to hear a story of Christmas spirit. Do you watch any Christmas movies? Make cookies? What other traditions are you starting or continuing?
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  Faithful Witness

  Yes, we do have a German Shepard ornament for Sasha. We also have a black lab ornament for our other dog, Martha.
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  WTWizard

  I first started putting up Christmas lights in 2006, but no proper tree that year. Then, around the middle of spring of 2007, I bought an artificial tree. That thing went up around Labor Day 2007, and that is where it is staying. I also put Christmas lights right in the window where it is visible from the expressway behind my apartment, and I do not give a fxxx if the hounders happen to see those lights while driving to their boasting sessions. At this time of year, the LED lights are left on all the time, and if the hounders wish to waste their time worrying about me, I won't bother showing up at the hounding session. Ditto if they spend so much time looking at the tree in disbelief that they hit a tree--that's their problem, not mine.

  I also put things up in the common area hall in season. Once while I was active, another tenant put out a small tree with lights, and the dingbat witlesses thought I did it. So, now I am giving them something to whine about--climbing up a stepladder to put lights across the top of the window, icicle lights and garland across the top, red lights around the perimeter, lights around the walls, tinsel garland on the wall, big (and not so big) ornaments, and a smaller Christmas tree toward the basement under the stairwell. And, if those jokehovians show up while I am doing it, they are not getting in, and phone calls will simply go right in the rubbish unanswered.
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  truthseekeriam

  Faithful Witness,

  Good question, I haven't really thought of any family Christmas traditions yet, sounds like a great thing though.

  I would love some suggestions :)
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  Xanthippe

  truthseekeriam, I just want to say I'm so glad you're enjoying doing whatever you want at Christmas. We did that, had an artificial one the first year and then we went for a real one the next year. Such a simple pleasure hanging pretty lights and shiny ornaments. My daughter is home from university today and we are going to do that tomorrow. I think it's great that you're fighting all that programming, you and your husband. I don't know, I want to say I'm proud of you because I know how hard it is but I don't want to be patronizing. Have a great time. Have fun this Christmas with your family.