What a Coffee Filter Ornament Taught Me About Parenting and the Holidays

As I wrapped up an event earlier this month, the conversation turned to a very real struggle for every parent. Our kids bring home an enormous amount of artwork. Every week. Every season. Every grade.

You try to keep the special pieces.

You try not to drown in paper.

And you try not to feel guilty when something ends up in the recycle bin.

Around the room, our kids ranged from toddlers to grown adults. But the guilt was the same. No one wants to throw away something their child once made with tiny hands and a serious look of concentration.

It made me think about my own now 18-year-old and the coffee filter Christmas ornament that has come out year after year since he was four. It is fragile and lopsided and honestly looks like it survived a small house fire. I affectionately call it the trash ornament.

Every year I place it in the back of the tree.

Every year he finds it and moves it right to the front.

It has become our little holiday game.

And as much as I tease him, I adore that ornament. I adore the memories it represents and the new ones it keeps creating. I adore the fact that he now uses it to irritate me in the best way possible. I play along and laughter at mom’s expense is perfectly okay.

The truth is, these little handmade things are more than crafts. They are tiny time capsules. Proof of who our kids once were and reminders of how quickly it all goes.

And while I have absolutely considered tossing the trash ornament over the years, I never could. Because some things are worth keeping even when they are falling apart. Some things hold love in a way only time can explain.

The ornament may be fragile, but the memory is strong.

And that, to me, is the real magic of this season.

So parents, don’t sweat tossing a masterpiece today. Be selective. Save what matters. And remember that coffee filters are far more durable than you think.