Shattered Glass

Like many families, one of our Christmas traditions is decorating a tree. We do ours on Black Friday. It is a welcome escape from crowded malls. Instead we spend time with hot chocolate and ornaments.

And like most families, our tree is an exercise in organized chaos: a collection of memories with no theme, order, or seemingly even basic sense. There are handmade creations from school, tributes to favorite sports teams, Lizzie’s rainbow unicorn and gay pride flag, Star Wars figures, and a snowman Justin thought was cool. A cardinal, which I think began life as a garden decoration, now sits nestled in the plastic boughs of our simulated tree.

We also have a few military ornaments: a U.S. Army one for my service, an Air Force one for Matthew, and a U.S. Marine Corps ornament for Big Justin, my son-in-law. We bought the Air Force and USMC ornaments together. They are round, shiny, and beautiful. They are also made of glass. Beautiful, yes, but terribly fragile. One simple slip over the hardwood floor and... no more ornament.

Guess which one the younger Justin chose to hang? Yep.

As sure as day follows night, the ornament slipped from his fingers as he turned toward the tree. It seemed to fall in slow motion, hitting the floor, bouncing once, and then falling again to shatter promptly into a dozen pieces.

Justin gave a guttural yell and burst into tears. He bolted to the couch, screaming “I AM SO EMBARRASSED” over and over. We worked with him to de-escalate, using breathing strategies and reminding him he was safe and loved. Once he calmed down, he asked us to forgive him. We reassured him that the ornament was just a replaceable thing. The important takeaway is that no one was hurt and that this was a simple problem to solve. We just needed a broom and a dust pan.

Justin eventually settled down. We cleaned up. A new USMC ornament was quickly procured and now hangs safely alongside all the other misfit toys. Justin even hung the replacement himself.

Yet, over the next few days, he kept apologizing at random times, still caught up in the embarrassment. I told him all feelings were okay.

“I know, Dad,” he said. “But some feelings feel bad.”

Fair point, Justin. Fair point.

During the holiday season, a lot more than just ornaments can break. We get so caught up in the stuff - the gifts, the parties, the family pressures, the loneliness - that things slip through our fingers. We drop the literal and physical ornaments of our lives. We feel guilty for not doing enough. We obsess over where we’re failing. We feel that deep, painful embarrassment that overwhelmed Justin. And, like Justin on the couch, it’s easy for us to fixate on the broken pieces and everything that went wrong.

Here is my gentle reminder: there is always a broom and a dust pan.

No matter what you’ve dropped, you can clean it up. There is no mistake you can’t recover from. Believe me, I have made almost all of the mistakes. There is always a way back. Besides, we almost always think our mistakes are bigger than they really are.

My sincerest wish is for you to have a peaceful, restorative holiday season. I hope you find renewal and connection with the things that matter most.

Speaking of which...

Combat Snuggles will return with a regular publishing schedule in the new year. I look forward to walking into 2026 with you.

In the meantime, be well. Let go of your mistakes, remember the broom and dust pan, and no matter what, keep pounding the rock.

May it ever be so.