Dear Readers,

There comes a time in the life of any married man when he realizes he is not in charge. Christmastime can be one of these times.

In our basement, like others, there are boxes filled with sparkling things that the family decorating committee uses to turn our tidy home into a magical glittering wonderland.

I am not on the decorating committee. It is my task to assist the decorating committee, but mostly I stand aside and follow directions.

This gives me a chance to watch as the most creative member of the decorating committee performs one of her favorite tasks: getting the house ready for Christmas.

Several years ago, a gang of old timers, like us, decided to sing a few Christmas carols for our friends at St. Andrews Village. We liked it. They seemed to like it too.

As we serenaded our old friends, we realized we sounded better at the end of the event than we did at the beginning. I know ... practice, practice, practice. Obviously, we needed a rehearsal. And, if we were going to have a rehearsal, it was a splendid excuse for a holiday party.

So, dear reader, as you might guess, decorating for our rehearsal party marks the beginning of process of getting our home ready for Christmas. It is a process that will continue for the next few weeks when it all comes together on Christmas morning.

On that day, the tree is no longer just another little balsam fir shoved in a corner, its trunk stuffed into an upside down cast iron industrial drain sitting inside a galvanized wash tub half filled with water.

The decorating committee has turned it into a glittering and sparkling Christmas tree, the centerpiece of our holiday home.

Sometime after dawn on Christmas morning, some sleepy little folks, their parents and their grandmother arrive at our front door.

There are few things that can turn my heart into Jello quicker than watching tiny people and their parents, staring at the Christmas tree — and the presents tucked under its branches.

And there are few things that make me prouder than watching the decorating committee gaze at her work, as the little ones and the grownups say, “It is so beautiful.”

It always is.