Love Affair With A Tree

Our grandson Isaac was born on November 16, 2006. November 16 is my father's birthday so when he appeared on that date, we were thrilled!
Every Christmas when I was a child, we performed the ritual of hunting for a Christmas tree. In the 60's, you could go to anyones's woods and cut down a tree. You didn't even have to know the person! The woods belonged to everyone!! In mid-December my 3 sisters, Dad and I would drive along back roads of Indian River, Spring Valley and Long River. We would trudge through the woods seeking the perfect tree. Sometimes, Dad would cut it down, stand it up in the snow for our perusal and let it slowly fall into the soft snow after we disapproved because it was too skinny; something my sisters and I hated, and still DO hate, in all living things!

In the quest of beginning new Christmas traditions with out family, we decided to take Isaac Christmas tree hunting this year. Times had changed since the 60's and we were relegated to the hunt at a tree farm. Jen, Wayne, Isaac, Gerry and I headed out on a mission one Sunday in December with a saw and a truck, looking for two trees.....two trees that were not skinny. Gerry was feeling well then; not his "old self" but well enough to trudge through the swampy swale. At times he carried Isaac, his little legs unable to keep the pace. Finally, we found one and then two fat trees and the three men cut them down. Isaac's cheeks were rosy from the frosty air but we were exposing him to experiential learning. Wayne dragged one tree to the road where we would pick it up and Gerry hauled the other one but was unable to finish the course. The much younger and healthier Wayne completed the relay.
I put the tree up, enjoyed its fragrance, decorated it and undecorated it. For some reason I just could not take it down after the festive season. It was in a room that we did not use much so it didn't matter if it was left in the corner. There was no reason to leave it up. Something was holding me back from taking it down. I told a friend, whose husband was also suffering from cancer, that I did not want to take it down since I was not sure what my life would be like when another one went up next year. She agreed and also admitted that although it was well into January, some of her decorations still graced her house.

My tree is still up. I am not sure when I will take it down. The needles dry. They fall to the floor. The branches become brittle. There is little fragrance. It is becoming skinny but it stands and will stand and I love it.