Below is a letter I wrote to myself a few years ago. In other words, “Melissa of Christmas PRESENT” penned some words to “Melissa of Christmas PAST”. You see, I needed some of my own advice before OPD (Ornament Placement Disorder) ruined another holiday tradition in our home. Maybe your family can relate?
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Dear Melissa of Christmas Past,
Listen, girl. I have seen our future holidays and the scene isn’t good. We are going to be one lonely holiday decorator if we don’t get a grip.
ornament placement disorder
STOP being all crazy uptight about how the ornaments look on the Christmas tree. Let your husband and your kids put the dang ornaments where ever it pleases them and stop micromanaging the arrangement. Yes, it is more pleasing to the eye for things to be evenly spaced. And I totally agree that it makes more sense for Mary to hang next to Baby Jesus instead of where your kids keep putting her. I am also well aware that you hate that stupid, ugly pizza guy ornament that your husband insists on hanging dead center, but seriously. WHO CARES???
As a result of our Ornament Placement Disorder, you will rearrange everyone’s work after they go to bed and only teach them not to enjoy holiday tree decorating with you. Melissa of Christmas Past, please hear me. You are sucking all the joy out of trimming the tree, sweetie. So now I am stuck fluffing this dumb artificial tree by myself very year. Get a hold of yourself, for the sake of all that is merry and bright!
stupid pizza guy
And by the way… the stupid pizza guy ornament? Yeah, the one that you try to hide in the bottom of the ornament box every year? Turns out we actually love that ornament now. It has great sentimental value to us, and we hang it in front on the center branch. Right where it should be. Ironic and unexpected, I know.
Take a deep breath and exhale. Try to be more gentle with yourself. More patient. More forgiving. You know, we really are doing a good job despite what we sometimes believe.
Love, Melissa of Christmas Present
Image by Thanks for your Like • donations welcome from Pixabay.
