The Legend of the Skeletree
In 2008, I had just moved out of an 18 year marriage. I was holed up in a one-bedroom apartment licking my wounds and feeling abandoned, abused, rejected, deceived, betrayed, lied to, cheated on and depressed. I had only been in the apartment for about 4 months and had absolutely no interest in decorating for the holidays. It would be the first Christmas in 43 years that I wouldn't be celebrating with family; my first one all alone.
Friends told me that I should at least decorate ...that it would cheer me up... that I should make new holiday traditions. The absolute last thing I wanted was to buy a tree and haul it home. That was not going to happen, but for some unknown reason, while I sold the rest of my life in a yard sale, I did bring an outdoor Christmas tree decoration with me when I moved. Half as a joke to appease my friends and half seriously, I dug it out of my storage bin and installed it in my living room.
The tree comes in three parts that hook together and all of the 'branches' are on hinges that come down from the metal 'trunk'. The poor thing looks like a white metal, Christmas tree skeleton. But it was prelit-so no need to buy lights. Bonus. And it was definitely the no fuss/no muss kind of thing that I could handle that first year. But after I first put it up, I thought, "This isn't going to work. It's too pathetic even for me." But the alternative was to brush my hair, get out of my jammies and go out into the big cold world in search of the real deal and that was just a whole lot of NOPE. Skeletree was there to stay.
I dug out my ornaments. I had had the fore site to go through the box when I left the house and had only my own ornaments. I started hanging them on the 'tree'. There were ornaments that I had made, my mother and grandmother made, friends made, and some store-bought ones that were picked out especially for me. The wee elf that had been on every tree since my first one was there. The chipmunk on a chocolate chip cookie that my Aunt Marion gave me was there. The birds-nest with the red cardinal in it that my Mum made, because having a birds nest on your tree is good luck, was there. I had worried that seeing them all would make me feel sadder, but they didn't. I could feel the warmth and love from each one; cherished the memories each one held.
And you know what? All of a sudden, the Skeletree didn't look so bad. It was covered with love from my family and friends and without the needles I could see every, single. one. I fell in love with Skeletree and it has been a part of our Christmas celebration ever since. Friends laugh at it; call it the Charlie Brown Tree but that's OK. Being able to see all of the love that has surrounded me down through the years in one place, unobstructed, means more to me than the most beautiful greenery in the world. So here's to you, Skeletree...to your white enameled branches your obvious wires and hinges. You are the most beautiful tree of all!
Friends told me that I should at least decorate ...that it would cheer me up... that I should make new holiday traditions. The absolute last thing I wanted was to buy a tree and haul it home. That was not going to happen, but for some unknown reason, while I sold the rest of my life in a yard sale, I did bring an outdoor Christmas tree decoration with me when I moved. Half as a joke to appease my friends and half seriously, I dug it out of my storage bin and installed it in my living room.
The tree comes in three parts that hook together and all of the 'branches' are on hinges that come down from the metal 'trunk'. The poor thing looks like a white metal, Christmas tree skeleton. But it was prelit-so no need to buy lights. Bonus. And it was definitely the no fuss/no muss kind of thing that I could handle that first year. But after I first put it up, I thought, "This isn't going to work. It's too pathetic even for me." But the alternative was to brush my hair, get out of my jammies and go out into the big cold world in search of the real deal and that was just a whole lot of NOPE. Skeletree was there to stay.
I dug out my ornaments. I had had the fore site to go through the box when I left the house and had only my own ornaments. I started hanging them on the 'tree'. There were ornaments that I had made, my mother and grandmother made, friends made, and some store-bought ones that were picked out especially for me. The wee elf that had been on every tree since my first one was there. The chipmunk on a chocolate chip cookie that my Aunt Marion gave me was there. The birds-nest with the red cardinal in it that my Mum made, because having a birds nest on your tree is good luck, was there. I had worried that seeing them all would make me feel sadder, but they didn't. I could feel the warmth and love from each one; cherished the memories each one held.
And you know what? All of a sudden, the Skeletree didn't look so bad. It was covered with love from my family and friends and without the needles I could see every, single. one. I fell in love with Skeletree and it has been a part of our Christmas celebration ever since. Friends laugh at it; call it the Charlie Brown Tree but that's OK. Being able to see all of the love that has surrounded me down through the years in one place, unobstructed, means more to me than the most beautiful greenery in the world. So here's to you, Skeletree...to your white enameled branches your obvious wires and hinges. You are the most beautiful tree of all!
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