I Love my Christmas Tree

I love my Christmas Tree

I don’t think I have ever said those words out loud about any Christmas Tree I have ever put up in my house.  Some were pretty and some probably even beautiful, but this tree is my best girl (boy).  If I could take her out I would do it!  Buy her a mulch dinner and something real nice like a scarf or a shiny new ornament. 

I remember one I really did love a lot.  It was one of those trees that in the cold, stark light of day wasn’t anything to write home about, but at night…it sparkled with its beautiful lights and tinsel.  I hate tinsel now, but I did go through a tinsel period.  Colored light bounces off of it in a surreal sort of way, adding to the magic.  These were the days leading up to telling my ex-husband that I wanted a divorce.  I slept on the couch, stoking the giant wood burning stove all night long, and staring at that tree.  I lost myself in the twinkling lights and the warmth of the fire.  It felt safe.  Like everything would be okay.  That is what that Christmas Tree told me.

I think I am going to refuse to take this one down as long as possible.  I bought one that died.  Now, I know what you are thinking…yeah it was cut down…cutting=dying.  I get it.  I see your point.  But, within a week it was dropping ornaments like it was playing hot potato with the house plants!  Not wanting to pay another sum of money for a tree, I decided it was time to buy a nice, fake tree.

All you “real tree” people, just calm yourself.  Fake trees can be beautiful too.  I went to a nice store and luckily, they already had their Christmas merchandise at 50% off.  My granddaughter and I circled the trees as if we were stalking our prey.  This beauty was all the way back around almost to the beginning.  She was hiding, waiting for me.   We very quickly checked all the adjacent boxes and could not find the tree.  In a state of near panic, I grabbed a passing employee and anxiously told her that this beautiful tree was not on the shelf!  Please…let there be more in the back.  She said no and for a few seconds the sound of the ocean was all that filled my ears, until she said, I can sell you the floor model!

And that’s how this beautiful relationship began.  Now, it is only December 28th and I know I have through the new year to legitimately leave it up, but why take it down?  It’s telling me things are calm.  Enjoy stasis.  Go with the flow.  Look how I change from white to different colors and back again. 

By the way, never stage your Christmas tree lights so that all the lights are off at the same time.  That is gauche and an affront to Christmas trees everywhere.

When something makes you happy…let it fill your soul and your mind.  Happiness can be fleeting, but it does come back around.  It doesn’t always show up in how much money is in your bank account, or if you went to Hawaii or Fiji this year.  Sometimes it shows up in small things, like the quiet of night, twinkling lights, a still house and a warm fire.  Happiness is what we tell ourselves it is.  Savor moments in life with mindfulness and gratitude…and leave the tree up as long as you can!

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