I Finally Found the Holiday Spirit -

A little more than a week away from Christmas, it finally hit. The spirit. I propelled me as I drove from store to store looking for a tiny tree that I could place in my living room. I bought one of the half-sized trees last year when the fake tree I had seemed too much of a hassle and just too ugly to put up.

A year later, I’m still finding the needles in the crevices and corners but I still liked the real tree, no matter how diminutive, I couldn’t go back to the fake one. But still I couldn’t commit to a full-size one.

But it turns out, I’m not the only one who has the spirit, even if mine has come late. The little trees I saw weeks ago right after Thanksgiving in front of grocery stores across town are all gone now. At least they were at the first three stores I drove past. At the fourth store, I couldn’t tell for sure. There was a row of evergreen something in the front of the store but I couldn’t tell what it was since it was covered in snow. When I went in the store to ask about them, I learned they were wreaths.

Looking around the floral area, I saw the normal holiday decorations and a poinsettias, but no little trees. But off in the corner I saw a feathery, green pine reaching above the other plants and flowers. I bent down to see the price and there was none. The attendant didn’t know the price either, and before I knew it she had dragged it to the cash register. I set a price limit in my mind and when she told me the price was below that, I said I’d take it. As she wrapped the 5-foot plant in giant sheets of plastic, I hoped it would fit in the car.

Luckily the plant fit in the front seat and I was able to drive it home holding it in place without any incidents to the plant or the car. It’s now in the corner of the living room. My favorite ornaments are hanging from the branches and I’ve ordered some tiny lights which will be here soon and the spirit will continue to shine.

I’m excited to have this new tree in my home long after the holidays. It’s one piece of 2020 I’m excited to take with me into 2021. I hope you find your spirit this season and have something beautiful to take into 2021 from this year too!