Short Takes

The Christmas Tree

At the risk of boring you with a repeated story, some may like to hear about my childhood Christmas trees.  My dad always worked long hours, but we were happy he had a job.  He got off early on Christmas Eve, but we seemed to always be worried because he didn't get home all that early.  When he came home he would bring our tree.  The tree was never "perfect," but we spent the evening putting it up and decorating it.  Some years I would hear him complain quietly to Mom that he could not find one.  I don't remember a tree as bad as Charlie Brown's, but some were pretty close. 

The lights were molded glass in the shape of various Christmas items: a church, a Santa, a lantern, a snowman, etc.  some bulbs were the old pointed tip ones.  They were supposed to resemble candles.  The ornaments were glass balls mostly, but we liked to make paper chains while we waited for Dad.  After all the lights and ornaments were on the tree, we kids had to patiently watch as Dad put the tinsel on the tree.  It was neatly wrapped around a cardboard.  He took one shiny foil strip at a time and carefully placed it so it would cover the empty spaces in the tree.  The tree always, as if by magic, was beautiful when he was done.

One by one we children grew old enough to be able to put the tinsel on to suit Dad.  It was always removed just as it was put on, one strip at a time.  Each strip was carefully wound around the cardboard again for use the next year. 

Under the tree, the gifts were always wrapped beautifully.  I am sure my dad was the artist.  As I look back, I am pretty sure he did the gift shopping after work on Christmas Eve too.  My favorite black doll may have been all he could find that year.  Gail and I each got a soldier doll one year that was not much quality wise.  They were probably on clearance.  Our stockings always contained a treasured orange and apple.  Perhaps you may better understand why I do not like to have a tree up for so long before Christmas.