A Special Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree

It was 4 p.m. Christmas Eve 1980. And I was treeless. I had actually spent my last $8 on a tree. But I stopped at a friend's on the way home and her little son was in tears. I asked him why and he said they couldn't afford a tree. I gave him my $8 tree telling his mom I'd get another. But I had no money.

There was one in the field at my parent's farm. I was sure it would do nicely. I called my mom who said she didn't think my dad would mind if I chopped it down under the circumstances. Off I went to claim my tree. I huffed and puffed as I trudged up the hill toward it in my worn out winter coat and sneakers with bread bags over them for boots. Nothing would stop me from having a live tree back then. Allergies later changed that!

What looked perfectly shaped and 5 feet tall from a distance, was half that size up close. It had only a few branches and looked kind of pitiful. But it was all I had.

One swoop with my huge axe dislodged it from its resting place. I picked up the axe in one hand and my sad little tree in the other and home I went, whistling Christmas tunes. I was sure I could make it into the Christmas tree of all Christmas trees with a little work.

I put some gravel in an empty orange juice can to make a tiny stand. Even then it fell over so I had to pound a nail through the bottom of the can and into its tiny trunk. The ornaments made the tender branches sag. I used the smaller ones. It didn't take many to fill it up nicely. I had to balance the lights properly or it toppled over. I added the icicles and wired a tiny angel on top, turned off the house lights, plugged in the tree and Good Grief Charlie Brown... it was gorgeous!!!! It was 10:30 p.m. and I had just enough time to dress and get to church for midnight mass!

I didn't have any money to put in the collection basket that Christmas Eve. But I had put a smile on a little boy's face with an $8 tree. Somehow I think God was smiling too, don't you?

Teri Hirko, who lives in rural Pennsylvania, is a single mom to two beautiful daughters. Teri's every day life to support her children is a struggle for survival. But she makes it through each day with the love, kindness, support and caring of many friends, both old and new. She enjoys looking at the lighter side of life and keeping a positive attitude which she spreads to others through her writings and poetry whenever possible. She considers putting a smile on the faces of those she meets to be her greatest challenge. Her writing accomplishments include having several poems published, writing a weekly local news column "The Champion News" for several years in The Daily Courier of Connellsville, PA which she sweetened with her own brand of humor, and having her work featured on several internet websites. If you'd like to become one of Teri's new friends, if you're an old friend who has lost touch, if you would like to comment on her work, or offer her a writing assignment please feel free to write to her.

This is the little tree that replaced the $8 tree I gave to my friend's son. It turned out lovely, don't you think?