Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Christmas tree finds triumph amidst tree stand tragedy
How many people does it take to put up a Christmas tree in my house? Apparently, four adults, one tween and a teenager who works at the local hardware store.
Logan and I attempted to put up our tree last week which proved to be a difficult task. The tree was a leaner, but the pickings are slim when you get your tree half-way through December. I could deal with the leaning, but no matter how much Logan and I tried to situate the tree we couldn’t secure the screws in it’s bark.
“Maybe the the guy cut the stump too short,” I proposed, shifting the blame.
By the time we finally got the tree up, and seemingly secure, I decided to call it a night and put the ornaments on the next day. Unfortunately, I woke up the next morning to find the tree on the floor. I tried to put it up myself but failed.
My friend Edmee’s middle-school aged son walks to our house after school sometimes because his school is so close to our house.I thought he could help me get the tree up that afternoon. I had found another tree stand in the basement that I thought might work better with the tree’s short stump.
I didn’t have any luck with Edmee’s son Kaelum. When Edmee and her husband Ryan came to pick Kaelum up, the five of us were unsuccessful as well. It turned out that the first tree stand was indeed too tall and the second stand was broken. Apparently, I had blocked last year’s broken tree stand incident out of my mind.
In order to get the tree to stand I had to visit Cottins, the hardware store a few blocks away. I grudgingly grabbed my purse and drove to Cottins. Why does putting up a Christmas tree have to be so difficult? Just another item to add to the long list of things I dislike about the holidays.
I don’t want to be a Scrooge, but every time December roles I around “bah humbug,” seems to run through my mind. I love to shop, decorate and hangout with my family, so it seems a given that I would love Christmas. But something about Christmas feels too hectic and contrived. Christmas forces us to do things that I think we should do all year round- give gifts, help the poor, spend time with family and celebrate faith. Sometimes with all hustle and bustle of going from one family gathering to the next, it seems like the meaning of the holiday gets lost.
I came home from the hardware store praying that I would get the tree up and get through the holiday with a little more cheer and a little less drear. It turns out my tree issue and attitude problem required the same solution, finding a good stand. Once I got the right stand for my Christmas tree, I got the tree up in less than 10 minutes. As I type I can see the tree with its pretty lights and decorations.
My attitude shifted when I remembered the stand that holds me together is bigger than any of the things that cause my anxiety, stress and bitchiness. At Christmas time we celebrate the idea that the creator of the universe came came to the Earth in the form of a Jewish baby boy to share a message of hope, love and redemption. And I believe that same eight pound, six ounce, newborn baby Jesus continues to offer us hope, love and redemption. And his hope is the base that keeps me standing through the holiday season and throughout the year.
*Read my blogs, stories and more at herkansascity.com.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment