By Pattie Mihalik

As I was decorating my Christmas tree, I was filled with joy, gratitude and love.

That’s because many of the decorations I use each year come with warm memories of the special friends who gave them to me.

My tree has changed through the years. But one thing remains constant. Sentimentality reigns. When I lived in Pennsylvania I always had the biggest tree I could find, fresh from a local Christmas tree farm.

We don’t have those delightful Christmas tree farms in Florida. So my tree is pure Florida, a far cry from the traditional tree I had for decades.

There is a lot of “new” on this year’s tree. Traditional Christmas colors have been replaced with turquoise and silver ornaments, and my traditional Christmas balls have been replaced with Florida birds and quirky nautical items.

Some decorations never will be replaced on my Christmas tree because cherished friends gave them to me.

Over three decades ago, my friend Jan gave me a Christmas angel. It’s gotten battered over the years and its wings are now extremely wobbly. But that angel never lost its glow for me because it represents the best kind of lasting friendship.

The same is true of the beautiful fairy given to me by my precious friend Linda Koehler.

For many years Linda and I had the joy of working together at the Times News. While we both went on to the enchanted land we call retirement, one never retires or tires of the warmth of a special friendship.

When I put those two ornaments on the tree, I am washed in joy as I think of those friends.

One ornament that will always be a part of my tree has its own bit of history and relevant story. That story could be called “When I didn’t have a dollar.”

When my daughters were young I so badly wanted the beautiful drummer boy that looked like it was made from marshmallows and candy.

I recall looking at it with longing, wanting it for our Christmas tree. But it was $2, and even a dollar was hard to come by in those days.

When I got a small check in the mail for a story I had published, I went back and bought the ornament.

As I put it on my tree this year I was filled with gratitude for my life. That ornament also spurs me on to remember to give to local charities that help those struggling to survive.

Many people decorate their Christmas tree with things that have significant meaning for them.

When our local shell club brought handmade decorations for a tree at the environmental center, everything on the tree was made of shells.

Some of the shells had a sentimental story behind them and many were special because they carried stories of warm friendships.

When I wrote the story for our local paper, I asked each person to tell me “the story behind your favorite shell decoration.”

After the interviews as I packed up my photo gear, a woman came into center with a demand. It was definitely a demand, not a request.

“I want you to come to my house and do a story on my Christmas tree because all the decorations were given to me by friends,” she said.

The woman never bothered coming when I was interviewing other shell club members because she didn’t only want to be part of a group. She wanted her own story. Yet there was nothing special about her tree.

I told her I was leaving on vacation and only had time to write the shell club story. Sorry.

The woman went to see my editor and demanded he send me to her house. He thought I should pacify her and write the story.

Sorry. Can’t do it, I said. I’m leaving on vacation and there is nothing unique about having a tree that includes ornaments from a friend.

Many of us have that. Or, we have ornaments that represent family milestones. Several of my friends have trees decorated with photos from each year of their children’s life.

Their children now have children of their own, so photos of the grandchildren are now included on the tree.

Another friend has a tree with ornaments that once belonged to her beloved grandmother.

“Every ornament tells a story about my grandmother. That’s what makes it special for me,” said my friend.

Our local garden club has a Christmas tour featuring homes with unique Christmas decorations.

The tree in each home has decorations made only with things found in nature. I marveled at how tiny seeds can become works of art.

There are so many ways a Christmas tree can be special.

It doesn’t matter if the tree is big or small, real or artificial.

The only thing that matters is how much joy it brings.

After my husband Andy died years ago, putting up a Christmas tree lost its appeal that year.

I decided the only tree I wanted was one made from bare branches. You probably get the meaning behind that.

My friend Mary found the perfect bare branch that we decorated only with birds.

It might not have been a traditional tree but it had meaning for me.

And isn’t that the best kind of tree?

Here’s wishing you a Christmas season filled with meaning.

Contact Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcast.net.