Yesterday Frank and I set up the tree. No lights
yet. Sans ornaments. Simply cut off the bottom,
dumped it into the stand, and somehow got the
perfect erection. As in found a way to insure it
remained standing. All without getting into a
fight, risking divorce, or saying things we can't
take back. Quite a feat given my personal pine
history. You see long ago in a life far away my
marriage fell apart post putting up a Christmas
tree. Ever since then I've struggle with getting
into the Christmas spirit. Specifically when it
comes to the tree itself. Deferring decking the
halls as long as possible. And then some.
Innocent bystander
While time may heal everything - most of us
While time may heal everything - most of us
suffer from some remnant of residual impact.
Long ago Frank accepted my yuletide angst.
Since then he's helped me face the inevitable.
As in decking the halls. Lucky for me misery
loves company. Hence post surviving another
year of yuletide torture I blithely shared said
triumph with my eldest daughter. Who quietly
responded "So then... nobody threw pearls?"
A reference to that night long ago when the
world went dark. to which I responded "How
did you know about that?!" Only to realize
she saw and heard much more than we knew.
Some think that the world revolves around
them. Yet life is rarely a solo act. We're all
victims of collateral damage that often has
little to do with us. Thus it should come as
no surprise that I'm not the only one who
is dealing with ghosts of Christmas past.
Which may be why my daughter "E" puts
her tree up early and keeps it ablaze for a
long time after Santa has been there, done
that. To each their own. Thus almost thirty
years later we're both still figuring it out.
Life goes on. Yet another chapter in life's
continuing education. What a gift that is.
