The last day I was at Emmie’s, she came into the playroom where Lilli and I were hanging out, and said, “You know what we should do today? We should decorate my house for Christmas! Seriously, we never get to decorate together anymore!”

I was uncertain because, hey, it was November 3rd, so she put the question out to Facebook, asking for 10 go-for-it’s, and got them all within about 10 seconds. So, after she got the okay from her husband, too, at my insistence (hey, he has to live with it!), we started bringing in the decor.

She had recently bought a new-to-her tree from her neighborhood classifieds page, which had been given to her in a big, Santa-type bag. It was a tree that you have to put together, with which I’m VERY familiar since I’ve had the same type for the last 19 years. I picked up the bag and brought it in from the garage. As I was walking down the hall, the bottom of the bag fell out and all the loose branches hit the floor.

Now, you’re probably imagining a lot of the little artificial green “needles” skittering across her tile, which would be correct. BUT, you, like us, would’ve been very surprised when you also noticed not only a plethora of silver icicles hitting the floor, but a veritable SNOW STORM of iridescent, loose glitter, as well! Mountains of it hit her Florida tile home, flying every direction. We just stood there, frozen at the snowy sight.

We had no other choice but to proceed, picking up each branch, pulling out more icicles, shaking out more glitter, and trying NOT to step on her big rug that sits under her living room furniture. But, try as we might, we’d still see it in errant locations. Once the tree was together, and after copious vacuuming, Lilli woke up with piece on her face, and I kept finding it in the rug and bedroom carpet, even after our diligence. Glitter stays on and on. Three families from now, who live in that house, will probably find that glitter.

Later, just as I was getting ready to deplane, I reached down to get my purse, and saw a piece of that glitter on the lady’s pant leg next to me. I couldn’t get it off without her noticing, so she went home with an extra little sparkle. Obviously, I’d carried some home on my own pants (don’t tell Kevin the glitter-phobe). It tickled me, but I realized as I got off the plane that it’s a great picture of how we should be living. We should be leaving a shine on everyone we meet, a lasting sparkle that they can’t shake until they adopt it for their own.

In the end, all that glitters isn’t gold. Or Christmas trees.

“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.” Ephesians 5:8 ESV

“… let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 ESV