An Upside Down Christmas

Each time we visit the mall, my almost three-year-old is drawn to the cow hide ottoman and zebra hide chair. Textures interest him. But lately, his interest has shifted to this upside down Christmas tree.

I initially thought it was some stock boy's idea of a joke. But another upside-down tree is in the same major department store at the other mall across town. It's intentional, obviously a decision from corporate headquarters.

Whether or not it's intended to serve as a statement on what Christmas has become, that's what it says to me.

Surrounded by evidences of a celebration of hope turned into a celebration of commercialism, this tree shimmers as a reminder that this is not how it is supposed to be.

The store ads keep emphasizing that Black Friday is coming.

But so is the birth of my Savior.

And He bled drops of red for me.

(Many thanks for the kind prayers you sent me--I am doing much better and the children are perfectly healed. My hubby is still suffering some, but he, too, is starting to recover.)

[Update: I googled the phenomenon today and discovered upside down Christmas trees are the newest fad. Moms like them because they can keep more ornaments away from small children and pets; retailers like them because they allow for more ornaments at eye level, which encourages people to buy more; kids like them because there's more room for presents beneath them. USA Today reports they're selling like hotcakes. Does no one but me see the terrifying irony in buying a tree that points to hell?]