TROY, Mich. (WXYZ) — It’s merry, it’s bright and for Lisa Hicks, it’s home. Usually people gear up to deck the halls around Thanksgiving but for Lisa, the decorating strategy and spirit of giving go all year.
I first met Lisa back in June of this year. I went to her home in Troy to interview her granddaughter, a 5-year-old with a dream of being the next top runway model — and that’s when I noticed something: Christmas trees.
That’s right, she had two of her Christmas trees up already in the summer.
“Christmas is my absolute … favorite time of the year,” she said with a smile.
Lisa has four kids, 12 grandkids, two great grandkids, 19 Christmas trees and a dedication to holiday décor that could arguably rival the North Pole.
“It takes about a good year to really get this together,” Lisa said.
Her husband, Zachary, enjoys her passion for the special holiday — but he leaves the decorating to her.
“I want to have peace in my home. And this is her absolutely favorite time of the year. So she's happy, I’m happy,” Zachary said.
The key to the magic, according to Lisa: planning and strategy.
“You can look at these trees and you say, 'oh, my, they look like they cost a lot of money.' They don't cost a lot of money because I planned throughout the year for this. I'll wait until the end of the year, catch the sales for 80% off and I'll start collecting,” Lisa said.
Lisa’s execution of this winter wonderland requires help from friends, family and local designer Alisha Bradford, who says she comes in to do the finishing touches.
“I hung up some of the little lollipops and the lamas,” said Amia Brock, Lisa’s granddaughter.
Lisa's celebrated love for the holiday is born out of the love from her mother.
“I grew up very, very poor. It was 11 children. And what was standing out in my mind most of all is one Christmas. All of our toys came from the grocery store. My mother made sure that Christmas was the happiest time for us. That stuck with me. So throughout my entire life, I says, I'm going to make Christmas special for my children,” Lisa said.
But for the Hicks family, Christmas isn’t just about the decorations, ribbons, tags, boxes or bags. It’s about the spirit of giving.
“I called the shelter and the lady said, 'Believe it or not, they do for the kids, but they never do for the women.' And I started crying. I says, 'Well, what I'm going to do now is I'm going to provide gifts for the mothers,'” Lisa said.
She’s working with her church to make sure local mothers in need have a special Christmas, too.
“The mothers, they will receive multiple gifts, multiple. I'm not talking just anything. And so we have jackets. I bought silk pajama sets, scarves, hats,” she said.
And it’s that helping spirit that outshines even the most stunning of holiday decor.
“She is a giver. I am a giver. And that's where we meet during this time of the year on common ground. We both share the understanding that if the Lord places you in a position that you can help, then you are obligated to help. And so in all of these decorations and everything that she does, that is not lost,” Zachary said.
Because for the hicks family, helping others isn’t just limited to a season. They say they are always lending a hand when they can, giving back through their church community.
“I just really feel in my heart, it's not about what you give, but just give. If all you can do is give somebody a hug instead of honing in on what you don't have, hone in on what you do have and then give what you can give, if it's nothing, but 'I love you, have a good day,'” she said.
Living in such a way that would undoubtedly make Lisa's mom proud.
“I could cry because … I was talking to my brother the other day and he I sent him some pictures of the trees and he says, ‘Lisa, mom would be so proud of you.’ He says, ‘because I remember I got a slingshot. That was my Christmas present.’ And he said, ‘mom would be so proud if she (would) just see what you've turned into and the things that you're doing."
