Star Quest

For the joy of it, I would like to tell you a true story.

Remember the experience I shared with you a few days ago about getting the Christmas tree? There was more to it.

After we got the tree home, the kids were so excited and wanted to decorate it immediately. Naturally I was all for it. When they were pulling out the lights and ornaments and yapping what they wanted to go where, a pause of silent dropped, I could almost hear it. Then came the very disappointing and sadden voices: Mom, Our star is dead.

A dead star? What? I went over to see what did they mean. They showed it to me. Yup. The star is dead. We need a new one.

One would say why on earth do they feel that way? Well, that tree topper has been with us more years then I could count with my hands and feet. It really was time for its retirement.

It was not even a beautiful, high-end retail priced tree topper. It was just a thing I got from, can't even remember where, to add to the tree decorations years and years ago.

But we always made up stories about the star when we were putting it on the top of the tree. We would make fun of how cheap it was and boy did we need something more presentable, something more elegant, etc. But we kept pulling it our every year and placed it on the tree top and admired it.

We talked about why people long ago would put a star on the top of the tree (we still didn't find out why). We thought it must be a symbolic figure that the Wise men followed the star to find Baby Jesus in the manger. We talked about how far they must have traveled but because it was the brightest star in the sky, they eventually located the holy family.

Our star was bright, too. At least it was until this year. We were hoping to be able to replace the burned out light bulbs but they were not just burned out. They melt into the sockets.

Joshua asked if he and I could go and find another star with lights on it. I looked out the window, it was pouring, hard. After promised Robert that we wouldn't go further then Wal-mart, we started the "Star Quest journey".

Never would we have known how hard it was to find a tree topper star with lights! We were driving around town like mad man (and mom). We saw so many stars, glittered, wired, twigged, even a black metal star. But no star with lights. Right before we almost gave up, we ran into a nice lady who overheard our sad, sad, conversation at Home Goods, She said that she saw a star with lights but it is in the next town, about 15 minutes drive. It was still pouring and yeah, wouldn't you know it, we forgot to grab the umbrella on our harried way out.

After another star less at Jo-Ann's, we decided to hit that Target in the next town. We called home and made sure Robert wouldn't be worried. He was moved (I think) by Joshua's insistence in getting the "right star" and blessed our endeavor.

When we arrived to that Target, Joshua seemed to know exactly where that tree topper was located. Sure enough, there it was, on a very top shelf lying flat on its side. The last one there.

It does not look anything like our old star, but it has lights - and they are replaceable. Joshua had found his star. His eyes were beaming with joy, I could not but rejoiced with him.

On the way home, he made a comment: Mom, It took us all these time to find THE star and we found it, even though it rained but we are in the car. Those Wise men who searched and followed the star to find Baby Jesus, I wonder how far and how long they had to travel and endured all of the different weathers? But I am sure it must be worth it.

Yes, it was totally worth it, son.

You can see how inexpensive the star looked from this picture. By this year (2007), the top light has gone out.

Christine and Joshua (and Erik, too) adored that lit star tree topper and have many fond memories with it.

The new lit star. I think I will let Joshua take it with him when he has a family of his own later. After all, it was him who has found it.