Sunday, December 21, 2008

...it was a sad little tree...

…There it was the tiny tree no one had wanted…it was a sad little tree…
As I was walking through the Christmas tree farm with my family I remembered a funny story a friend had told me. I’m sure I won’t get this right. She told a story of how this can of soup sat helplessly on the self pushed aside and unwanted due to its slightly torn and dented can. And the story goes on and was so funny I thought I was too wet myself (not all that hard to do after having three children jump up and down on my bladder for nine months of the year, thankfully, not all at the same time. Talk about opening the flood gates of heaven, I could never laugh again! This is one of the many side effects of children, the others consist of sticky fingers, lots of he did it, no she did it, I’m telling, MOM, mommy my tummy hurts-then followed by uh…barf, and lots of laughs, many tears-weather tears of joy, heartache, or I change my mind- I want a refund, if only that was true at times; and so much more, which sad to say can be the occasional squeeze if you sneeze or squeeze and breathe from laughing to hard- mine was the laughter) laughing so hard at this story she had written. Since then I have never thought the same of “damaged goods” or unwanted items. Thanks to that story, and feelings I already had, but never spoke aloud thinking someone might want to commit me; which I’m sure some already do, have thought this. Always at Christmas I drive by the lots of trees and wonder if all the trees will be sold in time, and if some family will their tree the way love ours and enjoy in the beauty of Christmas the way we do. Will every tree be picked, will someone even want the sad little tree, the one we all love in Charlie Brown, but would never have in our own home. Does it too fill the love of the Holiday Season and share in our joys, or is it sadly shipped off to some place only to become kindling for someone’s over priced cookie cutter home and could care less of its humble beginnings? What does happen to all of those unwanted used Christmas trees in the lots and on the farms? We spent hours searching for the perfect tree on a farm on Mt. Spokane; do the others fell the heartache of not being picked or are they relieved they get to grow and feel the air for one more year? And the sad little tree…who loves it? The next you go to throw one out, think of how tall and strong it would have been had it had the opportunity to grow into its own. So now I think of these crazy things while I’m out and about and wonder if someone is loving their tree tonight. No I’m by no means an environmentalist, but one who loves the Christmas Spirit and will never look at “damaged goods” the same way again. Even if it’s for a brief moment, I too will hold and loved that damaged can in the isle, and wonder why am I caring so much over a can, or a tree…the sad little tree….

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