 This is a Christmas Story,a story of one poor little Christmas Tree, and of a Christmas that was never forgotten. It seems that Christmas is how much we can buy, buying the biggest and the best, and after all the hype and frenzy of Christmas is over, we have a hard time trying to remember the next year.... what we did the previous year. This is a story of a little boy with a big heart,and a Mom who could not say no. Its a story of creating Christmas memories that are not forgotten. A story that warms the heart and brings smiles when ever it is talked about. A story of lasting Christmas memories, and proof that the biggest and the best...is not always the best. Its the story of how one little 10 year old boy,and his Mom, in the Christmas season of 1978, unknowingly created a family memory that would be handed down generation,after generaton. How the Mom and the little boy, were laughed at but really did not care as they knew in their hearts, each for their own reason,
that they did the right thing. We always had to have the biggest and best tree. This little boy's Dad, always hunted and looked until he found the best tree in the lot. It was always a family outing and we would bring the tree home and let it sit outside soaking in a bucket of water. After it was strung with lights and decorated under Dad's watchful eye, it would be ready to be turned on....and it would be a sight to behold. Big, tall, every branch a perfectly rounded shape. One year it was different, the little boy's Dad was working alot, and he really wanted to get a tree as it was getting closer to Christmas.So one day the Mom told the little boy, lets go get a tree and surprise your Dad. The little boy's brother and sister did not want to go....so off the Mom and little boy went. They went to the local Christmas Tree lot, and were very excited to surprise everyone with his great tree they would bring home. As they walked around the lot, they tried to have a critical eye like the Dad always had. Oh this one is too small, this one has a blank spot, and this one is too skinny. When they came upon a funny looking little tree, which the little boy called a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.We looked at it and laughed, and went to try and find the perfect tree....but as we were looking, the little boy said....I feel sorry for that tree because no one will buy it.So we went back and looked at the poor little thing again. When the little boy said, Mom can we get this tree, we can decorate to cover the blank spots, and then it won't sit here all alone.The Mom seen the look of pleading in the little boy's eyes,and knew what a sensitive soul he was, so against her better judgement said yes. So we brought the straggly little tree home. We set it up right away, and strung the lights and decorated it, the whole time knowing the Dad was not going to be happy. It really was a poor little tree, crooked branches, blank spots, and short little needles, but the Mom was happy, as she looked at her little boy and realized that she did the right thing. The Mom and the little boy waited for the Dad to get home very nervously, and of course he was not happy with this straggly Christmas tree. We told him the story of why we bought it,and that made him happy. As our Christmas party drew nearer we knew all our friends would be expecting the biggest and the best tree like we had every year. They were shocked as they came over and of course laughed....but the Mom and the little boy had their secret of how they saved that ugly little tree, and they loved it. The Mom felt so happy and close to her little boy. There have been many Christmas Trees since then and many before then, but none of those big beautiful trees are remembered or talked about.The little boy, who is now a grown man, with a family of his own, still talks about our Charlie Brown Christmas Tree every year, and it is remembered by the whole family. So you see the biggest and the best.... is not always the best! Christmas is about what makes you feel good in your heart! |
