Every year one of my favorite parts of the holiday season is putting on some Christmas music, lighting a fire, and decorating the Christmas tree. I love putting the ornaments on one by one, remembering all of the stories associated with each one. I remember the first year my husband and I joined our ornaments together on one tree. We had so many stories to tell each other!
For this year’s holiday reflection, I’m imagining what ornaments I might hang to memorialize important financial moments in my life. I invite you to snuggle up close to the fire, grab a cup of cocoa, and enjoy hearing some of the stories behind these hypothetical financial ornaments. After you hear about mine, I would love it if you would leave a comment sharing one of yours.
A Handwritten Letter in an Envelope: One of the first ornaments would be easy to miss as it’s tucked into the branches of the tree. This letter represents all of the thank you notes I used to write to my great-aunts Niel and Dorothy. This ornament reminds me that one of the ways you can use your money is to create joy for others. The bequest Great-Aunt Niel left me when she died helped me pay to travel abroad in college and even put part of a down payment down on our first house. And I will always be grateful for the eleven annual trips to Bermuda Great-Aunt Dorothy took my family on starting when I was in high school. These women are my inspiration as I seek to be a great aunt to my niece and nephew.
Cup of Espresso: The second ornament I’d pull out of the box is a little cup of espresso. This is an ornament to commemorate my favorite evening from my study abroad trip in college. While in Rome, we were given the choice of going to a soccer game or receiving money to spend. While everyone else went to the game, one of my dearest friends and I decided to take our money out on the town. We had a delightful three-course meal on the patio outside of the Pantheon, where we were serenaded by an amazing tenor. Then we strolled to the Trevi Fountain and stopped by a cathedral to hear a choir sing. Our memorable meal ended with a little cup of espresso – the first and only espresso I have ever liked. This night taught me that sometimes it’s to your benefit to step away from the crowd, especially when you spend your money in a way that aligns with your values.
Microphone: This next ornament is a little glittery. It represents my side hustle as a public speaker. It provided us with a glimpse of financial freedom when we weren’t making much early on in our careers. In the past decade, those 100+ speaking engagements have enabled my husband and I to pay off debt and to travel to places we would never be able to afford otherwise. But this ornament also reminds me of the intangibles I’ve received: immeasurable joy and pride as I’ve learned new skills, new relationships, and the opportunity to explore new places.
Burger: This simple ornament is easily my favorite one on my financial tree. After years of tiffs and misunderstanding, it was over burgers and Arnold Palmers that my husband and I finally found a way forward together in our financial life. This monthly meal at our favorite place became a cherished time where we could listen, learn, dream, and grow together. While our monthly money dates look a little different these days, their impact on our relationship is no less significant.
Grain Belt Beer Sign: Right across from our apartment in downtown Minneapolis was the Hennepin River Bridge and the infamous Grain Belt Beer sign. For the three years we lived there that sign was my constant companion. It was the first thing I saw when I opened our bedroom door in the morning and the last thing I saw before bed at night. It came to symbolize our move to the big city. This ornament is my reminder that sometimes living a fulfilling life means throwing a little caution to the wind, going against the norm, and following your own path.
Narrows Bridge: The last ornament out of the box is the newest one: a miniature version of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. As my husband and I were exploring the Pacific Northwest in summer 2021 we ended a long day by driving over this bridge into Gig Harbor. The second we crossed, our hearts were completely taken with this little village. I cried over fish tacos because I knew this place was home. This bridge is a consistent reminder to me that sometimes you have to wander a while before you can find what you really want, and that just because you’ve found what you want doesn’t mean it won’t take hard work to make it happen. For the next year as we prepared to make this move – negotiating a remote work agreement with my work, saving up for a cross-country move, coming to terms with buying a house while we were thousands of miles away, and finally settling on renting – this bridge was my beacon.
P.S. I took the photo accompanying this article at the top of Mount Rose in Olympic National Park. We were astonished by the view from the top of this 4,000 ft peak and counted our lucky stars that it was a clear, sunny day! While this mountain didn’t make my financial ornament list, it’s certainly one of my “life ornaments.”
I’d love to hear what ornament you would hang on your financial tree? Let me know below!