"This tree has been in the family since it was a scrawny, six inch sapling. Grandpa Sawatzky dug it up, and put it in a pot when I was just a little kid," Evan said proudly.
He gazed fondly at the magnificent ten foot tall blue spruce, planted in a huge clay pot. Then he handed his new bride a glittery ornament. Its scene reflected the winter wonderland outside.
"What other strange traditions aren't you telling me about, Evan Sawatzky?" asked Lisa, as she playfully spun the beautiful hand-painted glass ball.
"Oh, I don't know... I told you that we always invite the ghosts of our great great grandparents to dinner every Halloween, didn't I?" joked Evan.
Lisa looked at Evan curiously, and noticing the upturned edges of his mouth, she laughed heartily. Unable to contain himself, Evan busted out laughing as well.
"I have a Christmas tradition that I would like to continue too," Lisa said after they had finally stopped the merrymaking. Snuggled on a huge plush couch, the young couple was enjoying a roaring fire in the old fashioned stone fireplace.
"If I can make it happen, I will," promised Evan.
"Mom always sent a rather large Christmas package to a needy family. Actually it began a few years before she married Dad, when she toured Mexico with her best friend. They passed through some really poor areas, and she got the address of a family that offered them supper and a room for the night," Lisa said, wiping a tear from her cheek.
"And you want to send something to them too? That's a great idea, Honey," replied Evan, as he wrapped his arms around Lisa.
"No, Mom is still doing that. I want to send something to a child I learned about from someone on Hive. The little girl might not even be able to go to school anymore, and she never has good clothes," Lisa said sadly.
"Her family is that poor? Of course we should help them," he agreed.
"The poor child's own mother and grandmother aren't even interested in her, and said she will never be an important person," said Lisa, choking with emotion.
Evan's eyes blazed, and he went to the computer. "Who did you find out about her from? I'll see what she needs, and also what type of evergreen can thrive in her area. I'll arrange for a sapling to be given to her as well, along with a few decorations," he said enthusiastically.
Twenty years later:
"I'm so glad I finally got to meet you in person," greeted a slender young woman, as she looked around at the snow. Her dark eyes were wide with wonder, and she shivered despite her thick jacket.
Evan and Lisa both hugged her, then escorted her to a newer model Dodge truck.
As the three traveled past houses adorned with multicolored lights, reindeer, and snowmen, Lisa looked at the girl's expression of delight, and smiled.
"Don't you have Christmas decorations in Cambodia, Sai-Yen?" asked Evan.
"Nothing like this! I think my tree is probably the biggest decoration in town," she giggled.
Soon they arrived at a large Victorian style home, with a massive blue spruce planted in the front yard. It was covered with so many lights and ornaments, one could barely see the tree itself.
"Oh, there's your tree!" exclaimed Sai-Yen, bouncing in her seat.
"Yes, that's it! But wait until you see the one inside, that one is just about six feet now. It's going to our eldest daughter when she finishes college," Evan said proudly.
"I can't wait to see it - I want to see everything," Sai-Yen said enthusiastically.
"Are you sure you won't reconsider, and stay longer than two weeks?" Lisa asked hopefully.
"I can't, but I really wish I could. So many people are going to be saved once Dexaphilicittidicinmycin is officially approved. I have to oversee the final phase of testing, then I can come back for a proper tour," she promised.
This fictional story was inspired by, and is dedicated to, a real child who lives next door to @justinparke in a small village in Cambodia. Her grandmother and mother actually feel the same way as Sai-Yen's did in the story. All funds raised by this post will go to make her life and Christmas just a little brighter. Her name is Mey-Yii.
Cover image made in Canva Pro using their gallery