Christmas is right around the corner, and like most people this time of year, my thoughts drift back to memories of when I was a kid. Getting our Christmas shopping done early, decorating the perfect Christmas tree, preparing food for days in anticipation of the big day. Okay, I’m not sure whose Christmas that was, but I know it wasn’t mine.
My family was a little unconventional when it came to Christmas. To say we procrastinated was putting it mildly. Nearly every year we would run out around noon on Christmas Eve to pick up a tree. We would run home, quickly decorate it, and get ready to head out for the church service that evening.
Have you ever been on a tree lot on the Eve of the biggest day of the year? Slim pickin’s doesn’t even begin to describe it. But we always had a tree, never mind how scrawny and dried up it may have been.
I laugh to myself when I think back on a particular Christmas party. It was our usual rush to get a tree, get it decorated, and get everything ready before company showed up.
My dad had a group of friends who always razzed him, and this year they were in prime form. When they walked across the floor and heard needles falling from our scrawny little tree, they couldn’t resist. Almost in unison, a clever idea came to them, and they all started jumping up and down trying to make as many needles fall as possible. Needless to say, by the time they were done jumping up and down (and then some of them rolling on the floor in laughter), there was nary a needle left on our pathetic little tree.
Dad thought this was incredibly funny, but I’m not sure my mom felt the same way. Looking back, I am sure she felt a little embarrassed.
My Christmas’s have changed quite a lot as I have grown and have a family of my own. Waiting to the last minute wasn’t a good idea then, and it isn’t a good idea now. I try to remember this in my business as well as my home life. When something causes my wife or myself embarrassment, we tend to take care of it sooner rather than later.
I think maybe there is a lesson here. Maybe you have a floor that is causing you embarrassment. The carpet is worn out and you can no longer get it clean, or you have a hardwood floor that no longer has any finish on it. The time to start is now. Feel proud of your home at your next party, rather than embarrassed. Start the process now by visiting our showroom or giving us a call. Remember, next Christmas will be here sooner than you think.
Rushing around to find a tree was my Christmas past. In next month’s email, I’ll discuss my Christmas present, in which my family buys a beautiful tree early so we can settle in and enjoy it—just like your family and visitors to your home can sit back, relax, and enjoy your new hardwood floors once they’re installed.
Photo courtesy of p u n t o. Available under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.
