A Little Tacky, A Lot of Joy

I took the long way home the other night to see the holiday light displays in the neighborhood. House after house was lit up with candles in the windows, white lights and spotlights showcasing balsam wreaths on front doors.  They were all tasteful and pretty and another word that kept coming to mind. . .boring. I tried to ignore it but I just kept coming back to the fact that they were all boring.  For the past 20 years, I have been fighting with my husband to have a house that looks just like these homes.  When we discuss our outdoor decor plan,  I  describe my vision with words like ‘classy’ and ‘understated’;  holiday cheer that isn’t in your face.  When the ‘b’ word popped in my head to describe what I thought was my dream, I was shocked.  For the first time in my life, I wasn’t envious.  No disrespect to any of the homes, they are beautiful.  I have never been someone who does what everyone else does, but I wanted my house to look like everyone else’s.  My husband who faithfully watches National Lampoon's Christmas vacation every year to brush up on the finer points of exterior illumination has always had other ideas. I’m not a grinch but I typically oppose everything he does to make our home festive for the holidays.  I have tried to tone down his vision, placing limits on what can be done and drawing a hard line at inflatables.  Driving through the neighborhood and the sea of sameness, it felt empty. I realized there is no fun in having a house that looks like everyone else's.  It may be that ‘a letter confirming my reservation at the nuthouse’ has arrived as Grandpa Art would say, but as I rounded the corner and our home came into view in all its tacky glory I was filled with joy. May your holidays be merry and bright, and maybe just a little tacky.