A Sister’s Christmas Story

© Helen Skarman Doyle

I came home from college one Christmas, probably about 1969, and walked into the living room to see a brand new artificial Christmas tree that the folks had recently purchased. Fully decorated, it was standing tall and skinny in the corner of the living room. Mom told me that it was a snow-tipped Douglas Fur. She was in love with it. I thought it was the ugliest tree I had ever laid my eyes on. It was holding up the family ornaments in all its sturdy plastic glory, looking like it had just come in from a plastic snowstorm.

We faithfully helped put up the tree every year and I grew accustomed to it. (Never liked it though.) Fast forward to Chris and I moving into our first house. We were home on Thanksgiving and the tree was in its box in the garage. Mom and Dad had bought a new tree and were giving this one to us. I told Chris about how it was the ugliest tree in the whole world. He pointed out it was free. I realized we would probably never have to buy a tree. This solid plastic tree would last us a lifetime. My frugal nature won out and we carried it home.

It’s a Charlie Brown tree: without ornaments it doesn’t look like much. Once you decorate it and spend some time with it, it comes to life. Mom would always put a crayon-colored Baby Jesus in the middle of it to cover the sturdy plastic trunk. I also put a felt, handmade decoration with the Holy Family picture over the trunk. Also every big ornament is placed deep in to cover the trunk. With bulbs, ornaments, lights and garland the tree looks really good.

I enjoy telling people we have never bought a Christmas tree in our married life. I can see in their eyes that they are wondering “what’s wrong with this lady?” Then I tell them the story of our good old plastic tree.

Last year the tree started falling over when it was fully decorated. My first thought was “No!  I am not going to be parted with this tree!” We wrapped twine around the trunk and tied it the window. One way or another that tree would get fixed and we would keep putting it up. I realize I really liked this tree. It had grown on me and it was full of years of Christmas memories. When we took it down we realized that the trunk was fine, it had just been put together wrong.

This year the tree is up again, now 48-years old. We fixed the tipping problem, but just to be sure we still tied it to the window. God willing, it will be with us for many more Christmases. As we remember all the family times it has seen, we wish you all a Merry Christmas!