The old star

This Christmas I realized something. When I was decorating my tree, it dawned on me that I have been putting the same star on my tree, every year, for 52 years! I can still remember when it was purchased. I was a young newlywed of 5 months and had just confirmed that I was expecting our first baby. To celebrate, we went out and bought the most beautiful star we could find. Every year, as I add the star on top of the tree, I remember.

There are other memories that have attached themselves to the star, like for instance, the year we had a fire and the tips of the star melted and bent slightly. It still worked and looked beautiful, but carried the memory after that.

Some of the brilliant gems that adorn the star, and glow so wonderfully, have faded over time, and I’ve had to replace a few of them. Each year the star becomes more beautiful because of added memories. The year our kittens climbed the tree and knocked it over, the star lost its lights and I had to finagle replacement lights. All the grandchildren who have sat beneath the star as it shone down on our Christmases have heard the stories of past memories.

Where does an old star go after so many years? It’s not a priceless heirloom or a treasured painting. It’s just an old star, which has been kept alive, year after year, waiting for its place of honor, on top of the Christmas tree.  There is one more memory that is part of the stars legacy. A reminder of the bright star that shone over Bethlehem on the night the Savior was born, a symbol and reminder of hope and honor that adorns our tree each year. It also signifies the enduring qualities of steadfastness and the tenacity to be true to our beliefs.

I think my old star will always be hanging somewhere on a tree at Christmas, preserved as an heirloom and remembered always for what it symbolizes, as it waits inside a box for the next year, so that it can once again reign supreme.