Tripp-ing the lights fantastic
It was a crystal clear and very cold night when we embarked on our journey. A frigid wind sharply whistled, reminding us it was winter. Bundled up in thick coats and heavy scarves, two cars full of my friends and I left Macon in search of a small town near Cochran called Yonkers. None of us had ever been to Yonkers. None of us knew what to expect. As we motored down the highway, we didn’t realize what a glowing and magical experience awaited us.
“This is not just a magnificent seasonal light display,” I told the group in my car as we turned right here and left there on our journey. “It is a story about a family who, in the face of a devastating challenge, joined together with prayer and used their love of Christmas to literally brighten the lives of others.”
I explained to my friends that I had not actually met these people in person but had spoken with them on the phone a few months ago while preparing for the October issue of the magazine Southern Style with Mark Ballard in The Telegraph. Someone had told me how the Tripp family decorated and how I had to see it. So, I couldn’t wait to meet them in person.
Joe and Marie Tripp have always loved Christmas. They were even married on Christmas Eve. This year, they will celebrate their 36th wedding anniversary. They have a large family consisting of four daughters and one son. As a family, the Tripps have always gone way out in decorating for Christmas. Each and every year, their holiday light display grew bigger and bigger.
In May 1995, their son Joey was diagnosed with Stage 4 bone cancer. For a long time, his future looked grim. However, even as he battled cancer, he still wanted the family to continue to decorate for Christmas. Some of the years he was in treatment, he was unable to be at home during the holidays. But, he still begged his family to keep up their tradition back home of decorating.
In the late summer when I was talking with Marie about their phenomenal and festive light display, I made a promise to her that I would come see it this year. As we got closer and closer to our destination far out in the country, the darker it seemed to get. We kept driving and then suddenly in the distance appeared an oasis of decorations and lights that magically lit up the night sky. There was no doubt. We had indeed found Yonkers and the Tripp family.
Getting out of our vehicles, I gasped as I saw the glowing and multi-colored holiday display. There under a canopy of millions of twinkling stars that I can’t see from where I live in Macon was a radiating testament to the power of a family whose love of Christmas helped them through their son’s incredible struggle with cancer.
The lights warmly invited us toward them with opened arms much like an old friend who you haven’t seen in a while would do. Brilliant purples, pinks and turquoise lights worked in harmony with all the other millions of traditional colors to form magical displays of what can be accomplished when you set a goal and work together.
Those of you like me who know how challenging working with a single strand of Christmas lights can be, would certainly have a great appreciation for the almost two months of effort that goes into creating something so wonderful. Several times I just had to stop and soak it all in. It literally was breathtaking!
My group and I were lucky enough to get a personal tour of the property led by Marie. It was fascinating to hear all the details of where they had acquired their collections, how much power it took to produce such a display and where it all was stored. Their oldest decorations were a series of little mice that are from the 1940s. But each and every year, the family’s collections grow. “This year, we added some LED lights,” Marie said with a chuckle. “You have to cut costs wherever you can.”
Marie’s face lit up almost as brightly as all the lights around us as she talked about her family and her son’s health struggle in particular. “It’s all about family,” she said as her eyes teared up, reflecting all the multicolored surrounding lights like a river would a sunset. “We are so grateful,” she said. “Every light that you see in our yard is a prayer that has been answered.”
As we rounded the final corner of our tour and made our way back to where we began, there in the garage sat Santa and a photographer who was willing to take our photos. This wasn’t just any photographer. This photographer was Joey, who next year will have been cancer-free for eight years.
The Tripp family welcomes anyone who would like to come and tour their winter wonderland. And let me tell you, each year hundreds and hundreds of people do. The Tripps ask for nothing to share this joy, but there is a simple box with a sign that reads “Donations.” Even with unbelievable medical bills, this family unselfishly gives to everyone around them.
As we settled back into our cars and drove away into the darkness, I turned around to soak in the beauty of this glowing oasis one more time. There in a little town of Yonkers, I had received a blessing because of a family that loves Christmas!
For more information, go to www. trippchristmas.com or call (478) 220-0024.
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This story was originally published December 9, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Tripp-ing the lights fantastic."