Christmas Memory: Icicles Hung Neatly
on the Tree
Rick was not quite eight when he left
South Korea to join his adoptive family in the middle of the United
States. Rick met this challenge with the in-your-face bravado and
determination that had enabled him to survive thus far. He was
visibly angry when he got off the plane because his coat zipper was
stuck and he was not able to present himself as “perfect” for his
new family. He reluctantly accepted his new Dad’s help to fix it
and bravely took his new Mom’s hand as the family left the airport.
It was November 16th.
The adoption agency recommended that
the newly adopted child be kept at home for at least six weeks so
they could adjust to the immediate family members and routines before
adding school regulations and classmates. Rick demanded to go to
school with his brother and sisters. The primary teacher in the
small country school was willing to let him join his sisters and he
started to school after Thanksgiving -- just in time for Christmas
program preparation.
His vocabulary of six English words
expanded rapidly. Each day was a wonderful adventure of singing and
art projects and putting up decorations at school. On the Saturday
that we went to the nearby Christmas tree farm, cut a tree and
brought it into the house, Rick nearly burst with excitement. He
lustily sang O Christmas Tree (with at least two extra
syllables in “Christmas”). He eagerly explored the
composition of the tree, walked around it measuring it’s space in
front of the window and chattered gaily in Korean.
Traditionally, Dad put the lights on.
We all added decorations then we all started carefully placing
icicles one by one on the lower branches and slowly moving up the
tree. The kids -- and Mom -- would soon tire and wander off leaving
Dad to watch the football game while placing icicles neatly on the
tree.
While Rick might have understood the
words, there was no way he could grasp the concept of icicles neatly
on the tree. While Dad was sitting on the floor adding icicles one
by one, Rick pulled a stool up to the other side of the tree so he
could come closer to the top and began gleefully throwing handfuls of
icicles on the tree. There have been more than 30 trees since then and with
each one we remember Rick’s first Christmas and the beautiful tree
with great clumps of icicles reflected in his shining eyes. And,
sometime along the way, we quit using icicles on our trees.
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