What’s with the tree??

Today starts the month of February. Ground Hog Day is soon to arrive and Punxsutawney Phil will make his prediction about whether Spring will come early or not. I could never fathom how anyone would think a groundhog could predict the weather when degreed meteorologists can’t predict accurately the weather for the present week, let alone months in advance. But I digress.

Visitors to my home now get a puzzled look on their faces when they spot, in the center of the living room, our 2023 Christmas tree in all its glory. It is a natural tree purchased from a local garden center and its branches are still a vibrant green. We continue watering it in its tree stand and so hardly any of its needles have fallen off. Quite a miracle, in my opinion.

Our Christmas decorations are still displayed on it, along with strings of colored lights. Each night our tree shines brightly, illuminating our home. So why on earth do we still have our tree up, you might ask?

Driving around some of the neighborhood streets after dusk, I find that we are not the only ones not willing to toss the Christmas tree to the curb. Let me explain my reasoning for letting our beloved tree remain as a fixture in our home.

Our world is in total disarray with wars, civil unrest, and poverty spread out across the globe. Here in the United States, battle lines have been drawn in the dirt separating one political party from the other. With the upcoming presidential election looming ahead, each party is fiercely defending itself and bad-mouthing the opponent in any fashion it can. There seems no willingness for compromise. Our country is torn apart and the problems that we face as a nation are lost in the shouting match. So who suffers as a result… you and me, the economy, and the environment.

My mind spins when I have to listen to the nightly news, in fact, I sometimes don’t listen to the news regularly. So where do I go to retain a bit of my sanity… I sit in my living room and look at my Christmas tree with its glistening lights. It reminds me of the season of love…celebration of the birth of One who brought salvation to the world and mankind. It reminds me of family gatherings and the good times we spent catching up. Simply put, our Christmas tree brings me a sense of peace and harmony, and that is a feeling I want to hold onto for as long as I can.

Merry Christmas, little tree, and thank you for all you do just being you!