Last weekend, Mark and I decided to put up our Christmas tree. Well, treeS to be more specific. We put two trees up on the ledge above the door where Emma can look at them, but not get into them. She loves them! She immediately learned the word “tree” and says it constantly as she looks at them with amazement and wonder. She also says “cute” and “pretty” alot in regards to the trees. She has no idea what Christmas is. No clue as to the religious significance — not that there is any at our house. No inkling as to the materialistic insanity it has become in a culture full of unfulfilled people on a quest for more, more, always more. No idea about Santa, or the lack thereof, or the great conspiracy of all adults to pull a fast one on the little ones all for the sake of buying more and more, to get them even more excited about an occassion filled with sugar and long nights. No thoughts of the love or familial association linked to the occassion — the visits, the shared cocoa, the sled rides, the going to the zoo to look at the lights, the hugs, the relatives from out of town. All she sees is pretty trees. Can you imagine??? Erma Bombeck said “There’s nothing sadder than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.”. I’m sure Emma will be ecstatic when she realizes there is more to it than the trees, she loves just the trees so much. I can’t wait for Christmas!
When news of our Christmas tree erections spread among friends and family, we heard alot of “Already?”, “Are you kidding me?” and “It’s not even Halloween yet!”. What is wrong with you people!!!! Why can we not have a little Christmas everyday? A little more compassion, a little more thankfulness, joy, forgiveness, family unity! So what if our tree gets dusty? I’ve had to dust the Christmas ornaments on more than one occassion due to my proclivity for early tree displays. I remember one fond year when I finally took it down in March and hosed off the branches in the backyard. –They got pretty dusty as they had been up since September! Why don’t you have your tree up yet? What the heck are you waiting for? It’s snowed once! Sure, the storm only lasted half an hour and the snow melted right away, so what? Fall has definitely arrived, hop to it! Who wants to drag out all the boxes, assemble the tree, untangle the lights, figure out why the lights aren’t working and fix them, make hot chocolate even if it’s not cold, find the marshmallows for the hot chocolate and maybe the bailey’s too, hang all the ornaments and then rearrange them, reminesce about each ornament, it’s origin, significance, relevance, cuteness, etc., put all the boxes back in the garage, etc. only to have to go through the whole rigamaroll in reverse two weeks later! You may say I’m crazy but I am saying the same of you. Happy Christmas tree erection week everyone! I hope this rant has inspired at least one person to put up their tree!
This is only vaguely related but too awesome not to include!
Arlo Guthrie–
Santa Claus wears a Red Suit,
He must be a communist.
And a beard and long hair,
Must be a pacifist.
What’s in that pipe that he’s smoking?
“The Pause of Mr. Claus”
