Poor Tree

As grandson Hugo said about our fallen tree in our front yard after a big wind and rain storm, I now apply the same phrase to our Christmas tree, "Poor tree!" From grand and magical sparkling Christmas tree to this bare, dried out, needles shedding in piles, tree. Oh how sad. So very sad. OK, in the grand scheme of things, this is not that sad. The tree served us well from early December until today, the First Sunday in Epiphany. It quit drinking water five days into it's stay. Still it held up fairly well. 

I love the stories about Christmas trees, even the sad ones. The first one I ever read, or heard, was Hans Christian Andersen's "The Fir Tree." It had a wonderful life in the forest, but wanted more. When it gets to be the special Christmas tree it only has the attention of the family for one night. It's then ignored, and eventually is cut up and burned in the kitchen fire. Poor tree.

Another children's story I discovered this year (although it is 20 years old) is "Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect" by Richard Schneider. This one our grandson Hugo had me read to him most nights before bed for the week he was here. It has a Christian message of love. I enjoyed it as much as he did I think.

When I first began teaching, I found the story of "The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story" by Gloria Houston. It is a lovely story of a young girl and her mother, a Christmas tree, and a father in the military during WW I who makes a surprise for his daughter. Very touching.

There are many more stories of Christmas trees I'm sure. These are just a couple that I have liked, and so have the children I've shared them with. 

So, poor tree, thank you for a wonderful Christmas celebration. For your adding light to our winter, and reminding us that Christ is the Light of the world.