O (Charlie Brown) Christmas Tree

We have a Christmas tree this year that is highly reminiscent of the one featured in the Charlie Brown Christmas movie.

It’s actually a real tree, and yes, it’s incredibly small. [The above picture is the proof.] But it definitely adds a touch of Christmas in our equally small place, so we are perfectly content with it.

When I went to purchase it, the cashier said to me: “Is this all?” in a tone that implied “Is this really all you’re buying for Christmas decor?”

“Yes, that’s all,” I told him.

Then he said, “Please tell me that this isn’t your only Christmas tree.”

I hesitated for a second, “well, actually…” and I started to say no, but then settled on confident “…yes, it is.” Then I explained that my husband and I were living in a small apartment.

“But we have other Christmas trees. Did you see the 4-foot ones?”

“Yes, I saw those….but you don’t understand, it’s a really small apartment,” I explained. He laughed and so did the lady behind me in line.

I can’t imagine the image that left him with of an actual apartment that was large enough to hold two people, but somehow didn’t have any place (not even on a table?) for a 4-foot Christmas tree.

Sure, our place could hold a larger tree, but I didn’t want to explain the much-too-long real explanation of how we were only living there temporarily, and we weren’t sure (at the time) where we were spending Christmas, and this small one would suffice just fine, etc.

So he wished me a Merry Christmas and I took my little tree home.

It’s definitely a humble tree. But isn’t that what Christmas is about? A humble beginning.

And just like for Charlie Brown, for us our tree is just right.