Post by TMM guest blogger
Lauren Stout, DMCP, CTA, Director of Sales
It would be appropriate to write a holiday themed blog this month, and I was thinking of topics while I was hand decorating dozens of miniature Christmas trees to give to our valued industry partners this time of year. Then, with hands full of glitter, pine tree fragments and twine, it occurred to me – TRADITION.
Tradition is perhaps one of the most valuable parts of my life personally, and now, (referring to the miniature trees above), professionally as well. I was raised in a household that valued tradition almost above anything else – we joke that my dad is “Mr. Christmas,” and to this day, I still consider him the patron saint of all holidays. As I have grown older and now have my own household to run, I have carried many of those traditions forward. Some are silly and small: “always eat Junior Mints in threes”, and some are more meaningful: give your child a new ornament every year for the Christmas tree that represents the past year.
The tradition bug has carried over to work as well…. For the past several years, we have given our annual holiday gift of a miniature live Christmas tree. As each year passes, we revisit our friends – some have collected half a dozen trees over the years and don’t throw them out… some take it home and plant it. And some, go to the trouble of decorating it with mini ornaments. What they choose to do with the gift is less important than the fact that they anticipate it every year, and we are greeted with smiles when we walk in the door of their office carrying a mini tree farm.
It is well worth the glittery pine tree mess to be greeted with the anticipation of our valued partners and to participate in yet another holiday tradition every year.
