I’m writing this while basking in the warm glow of our Christmas tree, covered in ornaments we’ve spent a lifetime collecting. Every year, I think our tree is the most beautiful one I’ve ever seen, but I’m biased. It’s filled with old incandescent twinkle lights (I can’t bring myself to buy those obscenely bright LED lights). The branches of the tree are adorned with handmade ornaments made out of pictures and popsicle sticks Leigh has brought him from school, plushy animal creatures I bought to make the tree more kid-friendly in his youth, years of Swarovski crystal snowflakes glistening in the little lights, and nearly 100 Hallmark Keepsakes Eric and I have gifted to each other for the holidays. First apartment, first home, “we’re expecting,” baby’s first Christmas and so many more milestones, all marked with ornaments for the occasion. Red wood-bead garlands wrap around the tree, topped off with a gold star, cuddled up with a red velvet blanket laced with golden tassels at the base.

The best part about the tree is the tree itself, passed down through generations of my husband’s family. This was his grandmother’s Christmas tree, and it used to be his mom’s tree. It’s no easy task to put it up. Today’s modern pre-lit Christmas trees are assembled in three convenient pieces. This one weighs a ton, and each branch needs to be fluffed up and inserted into a color-coded stand. With each layer, we see the tree come back to life. Even though I spend all season picking up green plastic needles that have fallen from the tree, it never seems to lose its fullness.

My favorite place during these early winter months is meditating next to the tree when it’s still dark outside in the morning. For a few years now, I have made it a habit to wake up a few minutes early, wrap myself in a blanket to stay warm, and sit on a pillow to meditate. I clear my mind while looking at the lights and ornaments until my eyes feel at peace enough to close, until a dog nudges me to let them outside. Leigh quietly sneaks out of bed and sits next to me. We sit in silence for a moment, then do a few simple seated yoga stretches that end in a forward fold into each other’s laps.

Leigh was very curious about our family’s holiday traditions this year. These are some of my favorite ones that come to mind. I hope your tree, real or fake, brings you as much happiness as this tree makes me.