Day 88: Oh, Christmas Tree!

My mother is the poster child of practical. From her choice of car (the fuel-efficient Toyota Camry) to her career selection (Medical Technology, a well-paying, intellectually stimulating job available in most every town in America), to her logical and objective outlook on life, she practices practical. And thank goodness for people like her! Being the dreamiest of the dreamers, I appreciate her grounded approach.

One of the things that she is particularly practical about is a fake Christmas tree. It is a one-time investment that keeps it's form through the years, you don't have to clean up pine needles from it, and you don't have to worry about what to do with it after the holiday season. In all actuality, it's the best option if you're thinking logically about your Christmas festivities. Only the most practical for my mother.

I can't blame her for the way she thinks about life, but as I said, I'm the dreamiest of dreamers--and completely impractical.

So, in starting to decorate my apartment for the holidays, I had to shun my mother's voice from my head, when Mark and I selected a REAL CHRISTMAS TREE!!!!

It's a truly wonderful treat for me to have my first real Christmas tree. The apartment smells like piney goodness and is totally and completely festive. The branches are full and there is depth inside and out for hiding ornaments and goodies. And something about it feels genuine and grown-up in a way I can't describe.  I liked it so much I gave it a hug:

Now it makes me wonder, why on earth is Christmas symbolized by cutting down these poor trees and planting them in our living rooms for a month?

 Is that the voice of my mother?