Trees

Every year, when I bring out my spindly little birch tree and two little tabletop trees for the holiday season, I think back to how it all started. When I was very young, my parents used to take me to get a fresh-cut tree every year for the holidays. One would think a young child would be thrilled with this activity—but not me. I would get so upset at the thought of contributing to the death of a tree that I would fuss and cry every year. Eventually, my parents decided no more, and that was the end of the fresh-cut trees. From then on, it was an artificial tree.

Fast-forward 30 years—my husband’s parents came to visit us on our horse ranch, and we decided to go out into the forest on our property to chop down a tree, supposedly a fun event that we could share as an afternoon outing. Well, I had forgotten the heartache I felt when I was young, but it came back with a vengeance!

Picking out a tree and ending its life wasn’t sitting well with me at all, even as an adult. So instead of choosing a beautiful, healthy tree that could thrive for years to come, I insisted on selecting one from a crowded space with other trees, where removing it would allow more room for the others to grow. It was a “Charlie Brown” tree of sorts, but it was the best I could do—and it did look beautiful once we decorated it (at least, I thought so!). Needless to say, that was the last fresh-cut tree to enter our home, and I adore my little fake birch and its two tabletop friends every holiday season.

For those of you who still love the smell and feel of a fresh-cut tree, don’t despair. What I didn’t know growing up was that some trees are grown specifically for the holidays, and that is their purpose. It’s just a matter of preference on our part.

A very happy holiday season to all of you!