It’s tragedy, drama and comedy rolled into one. It’s the Agony and the Ecstasy. It’s War and Peace. What begins every year as A Fine Mess ends always, with certainty, as It’s a Wonderful Life.
Thus describes my annual tree trimming escapades.
Please forgive the literary and film references above, but when it comes to this seasonal ritual I’ve often felt that the trials and tribulations are too bizarre to be reality. Year in and year out no matter how organized I might be, no matter how much time I allow, decorating the tree is a painfully frustrating exercise. A problem arises and I hopefully address it the next year, only to find another problem arising.
Yet, always, always, the end result is worth every miserable moment. There is such warmth to be found in the glow of a Christmas tree. It’s the beckoning light for family to gather around, for friends to be entertained by.
But first, the agony, the war and the mess. We’ve always had an artificial tree. For convenience I guess, though that suggestion is rather laughable. The early ones were ridiculous imitations and a lot of work. Branches were stuck in individually by hand. The holes would split, the branches droop as a result. Our modern version has far greater aesthetic appeal, but is cumbersome to put in place. Also, it came with pinecones and clumps of ‘snow’, that are the bane of my existence. Not only do they fall and make a mess, but they’re difficult to decorate around.
The real challenge, though, is the lighting. First it’s the tangled strings, an issue we believe now to have resolved with improved storage. Then it’s the dead strings, which work fine when you check them but for unexplained reasons quit on the tree. Progress is thus delayed until we can purchase new ones.
Over the decades the task has resulted in toppled trees, broken ornaments, mismatched lights and strings of off-colour words.
I took on this year’s project early since I found myself with a Saturday to myself. Various, sadly- anticipated woes cropped up so that it took over four hours to complete.
The requisite useless strings of lights resulted in no less than three dismantles which occupied a fairly significant amount of time. Each of these meant more weaving in and out along the branches, in my obsessive compulsive need to get them spaced nicely. This involved the requisite gnashing of teeth, tugging of cords and stomping of feet. Of course, none of this would be normal without, I’m ashamed to admit, the accompaniment of some profanity to spice things up.
Finally, just in time for a much-needed cocktail, the job was complete and my efforts had resulted in a vision of twinkling splendour. All the frustration eased away as I appreciated the beauty of this festive tradition. Images of snuggling beside the tree on chilly winter nights, gently falling snow and a room full of laughter and love soothed and comforted. I had reached the joyful part of this seasonal tradition — the time to relax and enjoy the peace and pleasure of my wonderful life.
With just a few weeks left until Dec. 25, trimming the tree will be happening in homes everywhere, at various times, with varying degrees of success. But regardless of how smooth, or not so smooth, the process goes the end result is a welcome addition to our holidays. We celebrate here with delightful collections of Christmas tree clipart:
