I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love. – Linus Van Pelt in “A Charlie Brown Christmas“
A few years ago, I bought a Christmas tree from one of those seasonal tree lots set up in a mall parking lot. I looked around for a little while, and then ended up in the section with the discounted trees. The trees are discounted because they are flawed in one way or another – either brown in some parts, missing limbs, or oddly shaped. I picked a tree that happened to have a giant hole on one side since I knew it would be placed in the corner of a room. It was also dark outside when I bought it, so I didn’t realize it until we got home, but the tree was…er…well…“wide” is the most polite way to put it. (Or as one friend who saw it commented, “Wow, that’s got some girth!”)
Regardless, I loved that tree. It was decorated it with my favorite ornaments, and I watered it as much as it was able to drink. It smelled amazing, brightened up my home, and brought my joy.
Still, the uniqueness of that tree made me think about how trees can be like people. Here’s what I mean:
- When people have an obvious flaw – whether it’s physical, emotional or mental – we automatically separate them from the rest of us.
- People who are categorized as being “special” often get assigned less value.
- People can live their whole lives in the dark, lonely, and without hope, unless someone sees their potential and invites them into their home.
- People thrive when cared for and nurtured.
- Anyone – regardless of what label culture has given them – can brighten up your home and bring you joy.
Who knew trees could be so deep?
[Header photo credit: 44news.wevv.com]