ODE TO A THREE-FOOT K-MART CHRISTMAS TREE [R, 12-23-21,

CHRIST IN WINTER: Reflections on Faith & Life for the Years of Winter

 ODE TO A THREE-FOOT K-MART CHRISTMAS TREE [R, 12-23-21, a repost from 12-1-16, edited to make it current.]

 

Helen is an excellent and enthusiastic seasonal decorator. Christmas has always been her favorite time for decorating, but when we moved from a large house to a small condo, six and ½ years now, she gradually but bravely gave up our big Christmas tree and a lot of decorations.

Still, to begin with, I had to hang as many shelves as possible on the walls of our narrow one-car condo garage to accommodate the remaining decorations. The first year I took down 20 boxes—some large, some not quite as large--and a wreath. The second year it was only 16 boxes. It’s been a smaller number every year.

We did add one thing, though, that first year, because our living room isn’t very big. Helen has been very brave about accepting it, in part because we stopped hosting Christmas but instead went to daughter Katie’s house. She has a really big tree.

It is important for older people to learn to accept a smaller life, and Helen accepted that little, three-foot, artificial tree, that stands on the round coffee table my father made. Last year, though, Helen was tired enough at the end of Christmasing that she decided we no longer needed a tree at all. She just took the ornaments off the tree and stuck it out on the patio, lights and all. This year, she discovered that wintering and summering on the patio hadn’t hurt it at all. That’s a tough little tree!

What do you do when a three-foot K-Mart Christmas tree refuses to die? You bring it in, and put ornaments on it, and sing a song about it! It’s not long, but you can sing it…

ODE TO A THREE-FOOT K-MART CHRISTMAS TREE

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

How shortened are your branches.

 

You stand upon a table round

You’re much too short to be on the ground

Your ornaments do not make a sound

There’s no room for gifts beneath you to be found

 

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

How shortened are your branches

 

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

Forever short your stature.

But your tiny lights bring large delight

We smile when you are in our sight

O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree

Size is no measure of pleasure

 

John Robert McFarland