‘How wonderful it is to be alive’
Cancer diagnosis came as Oakville woman awaited birth of first grandchild This 100-year-old Bavarian bauble was given to Marna by a favourite aunt and uncle.
Few things are lovelier than a Christmas tree, with its twinkling lights and glittering ornaments, lighting up the dark nights of December.
There are thousands in this city, each with its own story and unique holiday memories.
In the weeks before Christmas, the Star asked readers to help us find the most beautiful Christmas tree in the city.
We heard about many special trees — some display shiny new ornaments, some hold treasured heirlooms, all mean the world to the family who enjoys its beauty.
But the Christmas tree Marna Urbanski proudly displays in her Oakville home is the one we’d like to share with you on Christmas Eve Day. Here, she tells us why she believes she has the most beautiful Christmas tree in the Toronto area.
Since I was a child, I’ve enjoyed the splendour of a real Christmas tree.
But this year, at 71, I finally succumbed and bought a 10foot-tall artificial indoor tree.
It was a decision I didn’t take lightly.
Our family has a real love of trees and we have planted as many as we can squeeze on our Oakville property.
Each Christmas, when our children were small, our family made an outing of going to a local tree farm to cut down a tall Fraser fir for our home. In recent years, my husband, Gord, and I have chosen a real tree, already cut, from a garden centre. We always chose a Fraser fir for its thick green boughs and lovely scent.
Buying an artificial tree meant I could start my Christmas celebrations in early November to add a few more weeks to the special season.
Christmas has always signified hope and new beginnings to me. I did not want a cancer diagnosis this year to cheat me of one magical moment. I received my diagnosis in March, after a CT scan unexpectedly revealed that I had metastatic colon cancer. This grim diagnosis came while I was joyfully awaiting the birth of my first grandchild.
Within days, I had emergency colostomy surgery and was discharged the day my daughter was admitted to give birth to my granddaughter.
At first, the swirl of conflicting emotions surrounding these two events challenged my outlook on life. I had to relearn how to seize every moment, find the good in each one and treasure each new day.
I’m reminded of these lessons when I look at my Christmas tree. Not only does the tree itself bring me joy, but so do all its ornaments, which commemorate the people I love and a lifetime of events.
Some ornaments predate my birth and are family antiques. Two porcelain baubles are more than 100 years old and were given to me by an aunt and uncle, now deceased, who asked me to hang them annually on my tree in their memory. Other ornaments commemorate and celebrate the births of my children, Miranda and Mathew, and now my grandchild, Gwyneth, as well.
A choir of angels in all shapes and sizes are a tribute to lives well-lived by loved ones no longer with us. Other ornaments remind me of treasured annual rituals, including outings to the Nutcracker ballet or seeing Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.”
Many decorations were lovingly handmade by my children and me. Some of my favourites include the handpainted Santa made by my daughter, now an artist, when she was young; the clothespin reindeer made by my now six-foot-seven son, when he was in kindergarten; and the woolly Christmas sheep I stitched together during long car rides home after a day skiing on the slopes.
My Christmas tree also reflects the many talents and passions of my family: the riding boots and helmet, the fishing rod and reel, the skates and skis, the champagne corks we have popped, and all the horses we have owned and loved.
My Christmas tree stands proudly in my front foyer for all to see, preserving a lifetime of memories and blessings. But this year especially, my beautiful Christmas tree simply reminds me just how wonderful it is to be alive.