On Why I Don’t Need a Christmas Tree

We got back to Chile a few weeks ago. The weather has been in the 80’s every single day.   We are staying at Rodrigo’s aunt and uncle’s house. They don’t put up a Christmas tree anymore.  Too commercial they say.  They told us we could put up a tree if we wanted.

I thought about it.  What does this entail?

It entails buying some plastic green thing at the Wal-Mart down the road and putting it up in a living area that honestly has no room for a tree.  And it entails me going to our storage unit and digging through boxes in very hot hot weather for our ornaments.  I’m not feeling it.  What it feels like to me is is July.  That’s probably because it is July in South America in the sense of summer and winter solstice on a globe.

At first, I felt like I should go and get the tree for my kids.  In my deepest parts I was convinced that their whole lives would be ruined if I didn’t give them their magical Christmas tree and put up all the ornaments and lights and bring out Santa and make five dozen cookies with them to decorate.  The whole concept was bewildering and absolutely overwhelming to me.  But, I was mustering up the energy – because I truly thought my kids needed it.

Then, I thought about it for a few more minutes.  What in the world is my problem?  Why would I ever think my children’s lives would be ruined if they didn’t have a Christmas tree for one year?  Why should our lives be good or bad because of one holiday season?

Because I live in a Sentimental, NOSTALGIC Hallmark Card, that’s why.

Then, I thought about it for a few more minutes and considered the weightier things of this life.  We have food.  We are warm.  We have thirty acres that my kids go play at every single day. We just went on a five week trip to the Unites States where they got lavished and lavished in love.  It was cold.  They saw some Christmas lights.  They saw their Uncle Daniel dress up like a crazy Santa Claus and pull out gifts for them.  My mother gave them Christmas presents.  They laugh every day.  They play all day long.  They know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are loved by many many people.  And they know that God loves them.  They know this because they’ve heard that God loves them like every single day of their lives since they were born.  They probably hear these words in their sleep now.

So, after my few minutes of reflection, I decided one Christmas without a tree was not going to break the memory bank of their lives.  We aren’t a Hallmark Card.  We live real human lives for goodness’ sake.

Then, after a little more reflection I had to ask myself, if Christmas was just about the tree for me?  Or is it … about a little babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger?  If Christmas isn’t Christmas without my big tree and my lights and cookies and egg nog (I have to admit I really miss the egg nog) … then what in the world is wrong with me?  Christmas is not some sentimental nostalgic holiday.  It’s a day set aside to remember something.

That God came near.  Immanuel.

So this year – I’m doing it different.  My family is doing it different.

I highly recommend doing Christmas unplugged one year out of your life … it’s the most liberating thing I’ve done in a long time.  It’s like fasting.  When we fast from food, we realize there’s more to life than our appetites and cravings … there’s so much more.  And fasting from the commercialized hustle and bustle of Christmas season is just as freeing.

We won’t do this every year.  But for 2013, I couldn’t be more pleased.

Much Love,

Tina