The Friendship Tree

I hope you had a blessed Christmas this year. Often Christmas time is filled with memories of times shared with family, of times when the kids were younger, but this year I spent a lot of time reflecting even beyond that.

Many years ago when I was in college and moved into my first apartment,  Christmas gained a whole new excitement as my roommate and I decorated our very own place. To match our living room, we went with a blue, white, and silver theme. Year after year, that very same tree was the center of festivities even after college in my rental house beside my parents. Friends added ornaments, made ornaments, helped decorate, and so on. With a new tree, the same decorations were used in my second living room when I moved into my house. 

This year would mark twenty-seven years of blue, white, silver ornaments enjoyed by many of my dearest friends ever. However, as I opened the box, I realized that 27 years has far surpassed the life expectancy of these mostly cheap Wal-Mart ornaments and some that were hand painted by friends, but I was having a hard time parting from them. They were far more than cheap glass ornaments. Many of them had memories behind them, faces of friends who shared these memories, joyous occasions filled with laughter, and sometimes a few tears. 

The decision was made - this was the Friendship Tree. Anything that could be salvaged was kept, but that wasn't much. Surprisingly, the most fragile and smallest ornaments made it - well mostly. I've lost many of those through the years, too. I ordered more ornaments and while it isn't the same, the Friendship Tree remains. From now on that second tree in my house will be known as the Friendship Tree to represent all those amazing people who became chosen family so many years ago.  

As we ring in 2026, I pray that each of you surround yourselves with people who leave a lasting mark, people who inspire, people who care, people who love. May each one of us be the kind of friend we hope to find in others - to everyone who crosses our paths. Can you imagine what kind of change we can make when we truly display friendship to all? Let's make 2026 the year of friendship and a year to remember. 

Let's start by sharing some of our favorite friendship memories below or, if you are really brave, share your new friendship goals for this year!