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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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The Magical Christmas Tree…

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The Magical Christmas Tree

Copyright December 2009

Yet another Christmas Story, this time about a magical Christmas Tree that transformed itself from a tree found in desperation on a ragged-looking lot on the fringe of Hillyard to a beautifully decked out tree when it was needed most of all.





The first warning Paul Jerome received came when his paycheck bounced on the week before Christmas. Originally he and his wife, Sally, had planned a fairly decent Christmas, despite the souring economy, with some of the kid's presents already sitting in the closet, hidden where the kids couldn't find them, and plans were being made for another trip to the malls later on. Things went downhill pretty quickly after that.


When he confronted his boss the next morning, he learned there was money missing from the company's bank account through the secretary's embezzlement, and within two days, he suddenly found himself staring unemployment eyeball to eyeball for the first time in several decades.


They had always just managed to make the mortgage payment, and pay the utility bills on time, which left very little for Christmas presents, but they were cautious in their spending and had counted on having enough presents for everyone.


He and his wife were somewhat stunned when they tried buying a Christmas tree at one of the lots of North Division, for look as they might, the prices of most of the quality trees were well outside their budget. It was late in the afternoon when they found the scrawny five dollar
Christmas tree on a Christmas tree lot in Hillyard, missing half its branches, less than four feet tall, a pretty grim example of a Douglas Fir.


They strapped it atop their car with yellow plastic ropes and with sinking hearts, took the tree home. That evening, after they dug the ornaments and lights out of the closet beneath the basement stairs, hanging them on the skinny tree, they sat together on the couch consoling themselves with the fact at least they had a tree shimmering in the dusk, and there were Christmas presents laying beneath it.


Several days passed, and on two days before Christmas Eve, while they were disconsolately sipping their morning coffee and reading the want ads, Sally peered up at the Christmas tree in the front room and asked, “Does it seem to you like the tree is growing?”


Peer as they might, it seemed to Paul and Sally that, indeed, the once-scraggy Christmas tree had perhaps fleshed out a bit. There were new branches up near the top, and sides, and the angel atop the tree did seem slightly closer to the ceiling.


“Nah”, Paul commented, not really trusting the illusion that their weather-beaten tree could ever improve its appearance. “It's just the light playing tricks on us.”


Christmas Eve arrived, and despite their tight finances, it still was a pretty hectic affair, with fudge to be made for all their friends and relatives, and caroling at their church later in the day. When they returned home on Christmas Eve, however, they were both awestruck at the once-trashy Christmas tree in their living room, for it had blossomed into a gorgeous work of art, with rich, overflowing branches filled with lights and all sorts of twinkling decorations they knew they never had seen before. Their old but respectable angel at the top now nearly touched the ceiling and had transformed the entire front room into a mysterious pool of light.


They sat for a long time on the couch together, staring at the Magic Christmas Tree, rendered speechless by what had come to pass. They simply did not know what to think of it.


On Christmas Day, the kids came scampering down the stairs and made short work of unwrapping their gifts, scattering the pretty Christmas paper everywhere, transforming the living room into piles of paper and grinning faces, wall to wall. Paul and Sally simply sat there, still awestruck at the beautiful Christmas tree and the mystery of the day.


That old magical tree never changed a bit in the days after Christmas Day. That is, until about a week later, when they were once again sitting at the kitchen table sharing their morning coffee, Sally gasped, started tearing up, and whispered, “Darling, look at our Christmas tree.”


They both went into the living room quietly, staring at the once again ragged, rough-about-the-limbs Christmas Tree they had originally purchased in Hillyard, with all the ornaments they had kept for all the years in boxes beneath the basement stairs and some of the mysterious new ones that had appeared out of nowhere. It was as if the tree, having served its purpose, reverted back to where it was when it first entered their house to cheer them on Christmas, and having done so, simply moved onward.


Some say there is still magic in Christmas, despite all the vileness and evil present in the world. Some still believe in that magic, welcome it with open arms each year about this time, and pray for its safe return. Thus they become part of the true spirit of Christmas.

Dave




Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.