Themed Christmas trees a tradition
In the hustle and bustle of today’s holiday season, it’s sometimes easy to forget to slow down and enjoy the simple things: wrapping presents with family, enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, hanging stockings by the fireplace and decorating the Christmas tree.
For long-time Russellville resident Wanda Myrick, these simple things are what matters most to her. She enjoys spending time with her son, Josh, and her close-knit family. She enjoys holiday traditions that have remained the same over the years. And she also enjoys decorating her Christmas tree – each and every one of them.
Myrick has several themed Christmas trees in her home, and at the peak of her decorating, she had as many as 10 themed trees that she would display during the holidays and each one had a special purpose.
Her favorite tree is what she calls her “sentimental” tree. This tree is covered from top to bottom in ornaments her son made throughout his years in school. It also has ornaments she gave to Josh for special occasions: a car ornament for his 16th birthday, an ornament from when she took him to New York, and a pharmacist figurine in honor of his acceptance into pharmacy school at Samford University in Birmingham.
The two trees that vie for her second-place favorites are her Elvis tree and her Alabama tree, and anyone who knows Myrick knows that these two things are very special to her.
“I don’t ever remember a time in my life when I didn’t love Elvis,” she said. “I remember listening to his music and thinking about what a great singer he was, but then I found out what a kind and giving person he was and that made me love him even more. Elvis’ charitable achievements weren’t highly publicized but he helped people in any way he could.”
Just like with Elvis, Myrick has been a life-long Alabama fan as well.
“I became an Alabama fan because my daddy was an Alabama fan, and it just built over the years,” Myrick said. “Josh became a fan, too, so I first did the Alabama tree for him. I got a white tree and would always watch for ornaments.
“Even though Josh now has the tree with him at his apartment in Birmingham, last year was special because we were able to get National Championship ornaments to go with all the others.”
Even though these three trees are some of her favorites, she’s also enjoyed her angel tree that she first displayed in honor of her nephew who passed away; her patriotic tree that she displayed after 9/11; her Santa tree that contained her collection of Santa-related ornaments; and her formal tree that contains her crystal ornaments that she has acquired over the years.
“Christmas has always been a very special time for me,” Myrick said. “My mother loved Christmas and always made it special for our family and I wanted to do the same thing for Josh. I want him to be able to look back on his Christmases over the years and remember the memories and the traditions like I do.”
Myrick said that Christmas has changed so much from her generation to the present generation and she hopes by decorating her home and carrying out some of the same traditions, she will be able to keep the true holiday spirit alive.
“Christmas is first and foremost about the birth of Jesus Christ, but it also about family, memories and giving,” she said. “When we get together for the holidays, my nieces and nephews don’t talk about the presents they received over the years. They talk about the memories: making a jam cake with my mother and cutting down a Christmas tree with my sweet daddy. We remember how it felt to give presents instead of how it felt to receive them. The fun part of Christmas is really when you can make other people smile.”
