When I was a kid on the farm, my Dad always drove to the country store in the village near our home in December, picked out a Christmas tree and brought it home. Sometimes, maybe most years, I would ride along. It was a big deal.
The year I got my driver’s licence, the job was handed off to me. There was no ceremony. Dad got busy at something and he asked me to do it. I was honoured to be given the job, as I was always on the lookout for signs that manhood was just around the corner, and Christmas tree purchasing seemed to be one of those signs.
This carried on a few years and then there was university and jobs and living in other cities. I forget how it was the tree ended up in a corner of the living room on the farm. Then along came marriage and my wife and I enjoyed choosing a tree. In fact, our first year together, we went all out and bought two trees, one for inside and one for our front porch. Then came two kids and soon they went along for the job of picking out the tree and it became a fun thing for all of us.
As the kids got older, there might have been a Christmas or two where I didn’t go along at all, for some reason or other. Last year, my daughter and I made a mad scramble to get one as we left it a little too late. Finally, 10 miles out of town, we found one. On sale even.
Today, the day came around again. My daughter is away at university, my son is over at a friend’s watching football, and my wife is visiting her aunt out of town. So, I went and picked out a tree by myself. A bit lonely, maybe, but it was okay. Another sign, I suppose, that at 67, manhood is just around the corner.
After all this time, I hope it soon shows up.
©2018 Jim Hagarty
