As our family stood beneath the tree, eyes upward, Brett asked our girls what they saw in the tree, beyond the lights and sparkles. They replied with large and small branches, branches growing from other branches, branches that were straight and others bent, branches that were intertwined with others, etc. I stood silently listening and thinking as our girls described what they saw.
Brett then took the girls descriptions and turned them to life's lessons. He said that each of us are like those branches. We come in different shapes and sizes, we grow in different ways and we take different paths. He emphasized that sometimes we stay on the straight and narrow and sometimes we make mistakes that take us down other paths. He also stated that throughout life we have different experiences and meet different people which intertwines our lives with theirs and helps form who we are. He also reminded us that if we step back and look at the tree as a whole, it's because of all of those branches, experiences and people that make the tree full and beautiful.
I stood there enjoying family time, processing the branches in my life and breathing in the winter's night air, when Brett reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small box. Our girls immediately retreated about twenty feet and the confused look on my faced matched my thoughts. As our girls started taking pictures and Brett got down on one knee, my heart and mind raced. What was he doing?! Then I listened carefully as he spoke and what he said will stay in my heart. Now a new diamond ring rests on my right hand while my original wedding ring stays on my left hand -- never replacing the other, just representing a new chapter in our lives. Just as the tree, our love continues to grow -- but only if we nourish it.
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