Perfectly Imperfect Christmas Tree

When I was a kid we had what you might consider a "perfect tree". What started out as a perfectly symmetrical white flocked tree from the lot, eventually gave way to a equally impressive artificial(s). The decorations fell within a theme that coordinated colors with the room it was in.  I loved the predictability of those trees. I loved that they had order. Those perfect trees set in my mind what a Christmas tree looked like. It never occurred to me that there was another option. When we set out to celebrate our first Christmas as a married couple, we were faced with the dilemma .... real or artificial?  Mark loved real trees, but I was advocating for an artificial that we could put up whenever we wanted and not have to worry about keeping it alive. We compromised with a tree from a lot that looked artificial and was adorned with all coordinating decorations. This is how it was for our first five years together.

 Then we moved to Laramie for Grad School. With the Snowys in our backyard and the ability to buy a permit to cut a Christmas Tree, a new tradition was born. It took some real getting used to on my part. Remember that idyllic tree image solidified in my mind? There were many years where I was grumpy about the unevenness of the tree or the big gaping hole or the entirely missing backside which somehow wasn't as obvious until it came home;) Mark reminded me that it was about the tradition and not so much the tree and over time I began to appreciate it for what it was. It is something we all looked forward to each year.

From the time Bailee was old enough, we have gone to the woods to cut our own tree. Some years we find a better looking tree than others, but somehow once we get it all lit up the flaws seem to disappear. 

 

 The decorations are far from coordinated. As we adorn it with all the handmade ornaments from the girls and the ones we collect from the different places we visit, I smile at the imperfectness of it all.

Don't get me wrong, I still like the look of the beautifully shaped and decorated tree of my youth, but our imperfect tree is pretty perfect for us. It is filled with sweet memories that make my heart happy and sometimes a little sad.  It is a reminder to me that like our tree, life is flawed and messy and unpredictable and yes, even imperfect. But at the same time pretty magnificent!