Decorating a story tree for Christmas is an annual tradition for my nephew’s family. Every ornament placed on the tree has a story. They always begin with two gray felt mice dressed as a bride and groom. Kristen begins by saying “Once upon a time there was a boy and a girl. And they fell in love. . .” It was more than 50 years ago that I sewed those two little mice, dressed them in wedding attire, and used them to decorate Dennis and Kristen’s wedding gift. I had no idea that my simple gift would begin a family tradition that would continue to be loved and appreciated each Christmas.
Like a pebble cast into the water, small actions often have a ripple effect on a distant shore that we cannot see. As I look at my calendar for December and pencil in events I want to participate in and things I simply must do, I have decided to make sure I take time to write and share. Maybe it will be a thank you note, a blog post, or a letter to a long-remembered friend. Perhaps I will share a story, an essay, or a poem that I have written in the past. Or maybe I will write something new—perhaps record one of my Christmas memories to share with someone else.
My writing can be a gift to others—and to me.