A Real Christmas Tree

– Syracuse, NY

Today, we went to get a Christmas tree. A real Christmas tree!

This was was very exciting because we’ve always had artificial trees, mostly out of convenience. But being in Syracuse with access to fresh everything (picking raspberries, picking apples, picking pumpkins), I couldn’t resist the opportunity to get our own fresh tree as well. We went to Syracuse Christmas Tree Farms on the day that the snow really started sticking. How festive!

As most of the smaller 4′ ‘table-top’ trees were gone, we adventured to the hill to cut our own small tree. The rule was that if we cut one from a larger tree that already lost it’s bottom branches, it could count as a ‘table-top’ tree. I think I found a rather handsome one here:

All these pretty half trees.

Andrew showing off his sawing skills:

I liked this one because it was so abnormal. Kind of like a big brother of the Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

It was very cold…

We ended up picking a 7′ Frazer fir tree. A lot bigger than what I thought we would get, but I’m so in love with the tree. It is nice and fat/full, and I love the fat needles. They’re very round!!

When the owner was loading the tree into the trunk, he saw Andrew’s military equipment and ended up asking when he was deploying, and to where. He commented that it was nice that they let Andrew have Christmas at home before going. As he finished, he thanked him and took the price tag I was holding, saying, “Thank you, you guys are all set” and I realized he was giving the tree to us for free.

It was very kind and gracious of him. I’m also really happy that Andrew gets to spend Christmas here.

Later, we went to see the movie Lincoln, and at the end, I stood up and my phone clattered across the aisle and down somewhere. Almost instantaneously, the people in front were helping me look for it, and soon the guys next to us were helping, and within a minute, there was a crowd of people waving their phones and respective flashlight apps, searching for my phone. I never asked anyone to help. They just saw, heard, and volunteered.

Such is the power of collective goodwill.

Today, I have been stirred by unwarranted kindness all around me. What a wonderful beginning to the Christmas season.

Merry Christmas!

(SNOW!!)