The Artificial Christmas Tree - My Parents Knew Best

As kids we hate to admit it, but sometimes (OK usually) our parents know best. Never was that more evident than the year I convinced Mom and Dad to keep the artificial Christmas tree in storage and venture out to a Christmas tree farm to pick out a live tree.

When I was a little girl, my parents always had an artificial Christmas tree. I never thought anything of it because it was just something that was normal in my household. When I got into high school, I started wanting to have more meaningful memories of my childhood Christmases. So, I began this mission to get my parents to give up the artificial Christmas tree and let us get a real one. My mother balked at the idea, saying that real trees are just too messy and don't hold ornaments very well. We all know that as teenagers we suddenly become smarter than our parents, and mine were getting dumber with age, or so I thought.

I continued forward with my mission until finally my parents relented. They said that they would leave the artificial Christmas tree in the attic that year and we'd go in search of a live tree. I was tickled pink, until I became blue with what felt like frostbite. We decided to journey out to a Christmas tree farm and cut down our own tree. We picked out a particular Saturday, which happened to be the coldest day of the year so far. We walked for what seemed like forever to find this "perfect tree" and none of us could agree on anything. In fact, it led to many arguments that put us all in more of a grinch mood than spirited. Finally, after two hours of freezing our behinds off, we all actually agreed on a tree. It was chopped down and we were on our way.

But little did I know the cold was just the beginning of our problems, although I suspect my parents knew all along. When we got home any last little bit of Christmas spirit I had left quickly all but disappeared.

After trying to get this tree to stand up straight and get all of the imperfections hidden, decorating was more difficult. I could easily see why they always used an artificial Christmas tree. I wasn't about to speak up, but I knew that the following year I would easily agree to put the artificial Christmas tree back up. And even though I did my best to put on a happy face, my parents knew what I was feeling. They never said a word however, and let me stew in my misery. And make no mistake about it, the experience was miserable.

As an adult and now a parent, as much as I love the smell of a fresh pine tree, we purchased a very real looking artificial Christmas tree several years ago and continue to use that each holiday season. It came with dainty colored lights already on it, so it makes our lives even easier. With having kids running around the house, I am all for making my life even a tiny bit easier. We still decorate it and make it a big family ordeal. We all have our favorite Christmas tree ornaments that we have to carefully place on the tree first. The artificial Christmas tree has sturdy branches that let us put some heavier ornaments on the tree that a real one would probably not. And putting on the Christmas tree topper is still the highlight of the decorating experience.

When it is all said and done, we stand back to admire our creation, and you would never know that it is an artificial Christmas tree. My parents still remind me every year about our famous Christmas tree hunt that left us all miserable many years ago. They also are quick to point out that ever since that year, I have always been a big fan of having an artificial Christmas tree.

I'm not waiting for the year my children try to convince me to get a live Christmas tree. I'm not sure if I'll give in as easily as my parents did.

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