Gardens Aglow

My husband, Vinnie, says “Are we finally going to take down the Christmas tree?”

“Yes, today,” I say reluctantly.

“What about the outside lights?”

“Well, I’d like to keep those up as long as possible. Those aren’t just Christmas lights.”

As the sun sets, I look forward to seeing the lights. I anticipate the sparkle against the dark backdrop of the night sky.

Vibrant purple twisted around the trunk of the crab apple tree.

Bright blue wrapped around the thick branches of the maple.

White strings, then red strings, twinkling and alternating up the hemlock like a candy cane.

I purposefully go to the window to look outside to see the lights. I think fondly of the Festival of Lights at the Coastal Botanical Gardens in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, which we visit every December and did just last month. As we walked slowly through the gardens, I purposefully tried to take in all 750,000 bulbs. 

We have created our very own little Gardens Aglow in our front yard.

It makes me smile. 

If there was no light or brightness in my day, there truly will be tonight.

Today’s blog was adapted from the piece “Gardens Aglow” in my book, tough & vulnerable