‘Tis the season… This week I’d like to share with you the time I took Henry with me to go chop down a Christmas tree. It was December 2006; Henry had been a part of my life for a little more than a year. I have no idea what possessed me to do such a thing… I guess maybe I am a crazy cat lady. I pulled out the pet carrier backpack that was gifted to me the year before and plopped Henry inside, he was starting to outgrow the carrier but he still seemed to enjoy being inside of it; he is true feline when it comes to empty (and sometimes not so empty) bags and boxes. I placed him in my car and we, along with a co-worker friend, headed out to one of our local Christmas tree farms. Upon arrival I second-guessed this whole crazy idea of bring Henry along, but I brushed it off and placed the backpack carrier on my back; giggling at the site of Henry’s big and curious eyes peering through the mesh sides. We made our way to the small farm stand shack and selected a handsaw that didn’t look like it had been used to cut trees down for 50 years. The previous year was the first time I ever cut down my own Christmas tree; I grew up with mostly artificial trees and continued that tradition into my seventeen-year marriage. My life had changed drastically and so I decided to change along with it. We headed into the field of trees in search of the perfect little evergreen that would fit inside my small apartment. “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has always been one of my most favorite holiday shows. I’ve always felt like I could relate to poor ol’ Charlie Brown; wise beyond his years, trying to fit in, and his overall frustration with the feeling of not being seen or heard. One of my favorite parts is when Charlie Brown picks out the pathetic little tree that stands alone in the Christmas tree lot, left over after all of the good trees had been selected. I suppose, as a child, I could also relate to that poor little tree. Charlie Brown got teased and ridiculed for presenting such a pathetic Christmas tree to his schoolmates but his heart was in the right place. Charlie’s pal, Linus, comes to the rescue with his recitative of Luke 8-14, making all of the other kids rethink their harsh criticism. Things always worked out in the end, as they often do for our fictional friends. Year after year, and still to this day, I look forward to watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas”; finding joy and inspiration in the sweet outcome of its portrayal of the commercialism and self-centeredness that imbue the holidays as we know them. But I digress, I searched and searched but had a very hard time finding a good Charlie Brown type of tree, tree farms don’t grow such. I finally settled on a small tree that had a couple of “Charlie Brown Christmas Tree” traits and, with Henry in his backpack carrier sitting close enough by to watch, I went to sawing it down. We all made it home alive and unscathed! This particular year I decided to decorate my tree with photographs that I had taken during that year; it was a perfect way to celebrate and appreciate my new friends, my new life, and my new furbaby. Many blessings to you and yours this holiday season!
Christmas 2006
Christmas 2006
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