I was part of a conversation the other night about winding lights around the Christmas tree. A woman told how her grandfather and great grandfather, two otherwise composed men, were reduced to expletives while putting lights on the tree. The story has it that those were the only times either man was reduced to cursing.  Another woman, who is a researcher by profession, waited until the strings were entwined among the branches to plug them in and test to see if they worked. They didn't. We laughed about Christmas mess ups, and shared the memories that still linger after a bunch of years. One man's father composed a trail of clues to finding their stockings, a great diversion to keep children busy for an hour as a ploy for tired parents to stay horizontal a bit longer. He remembered having to bundle up and trek out to the mailbox to retrieve it. Another couple relayed their recent adventure to bring home a fresh cut tree. It involved four eager boys, a lot of gas, snow, a sharp saw and hot cocoa. 

Still one more sweet memory was two little brothers swaddled in blankets on the living room floor, gazing up at the sparkling spruce.

It can seem like an elusive goal to create a magical holiday for each other and your children. But then again maybe it is not so complicated after all.