Will and I got a Christmas tree! It’s a decent size, and boy, does it have personality.

If you know me at all, you know that I will endow inanimate objects with human qualities. But for real, this tree is a human in disguise. It may not be a biped, or have skin or eyeballs or internal organs, but it is rich with human qualities.

Number one, it’s super pretty, but super prickly. Will and I had a hell of a time putting this tree up, because every time we touched it, it revolted by stabbing us in several places at once. I had little dots all over my arms for the next 24 hours because of this sucker.

What a way to get into the Christmas spirit, by recognizing that this is exactly what I do in life.

Let’s be honest, we’ve all been there. We’ve all had those times when we hold our loved ones at an arm’s length, where past experiences leave us saying, “You can look, but you can’t touch.” We train ourselves to be tough, and to attack those who draw near to us, because this is survival, damn it. It takes a lot of energy to retrain your brain into relaxing and letting go.

Number two, our tree is decorated on the front, but not on the back. That’s right, we got real lazy. The only time you notice this, however, is if you’re viewing the tree from the side (read: the spot that I sit on the couch every day), or if the tree falls over (which has only happened once and will never happen again). This is what I call “putting up a good front”. This tree wants to appear like it’s got its shit together, so it shifts all its good qualities to its more visible side.

What a human quality. Our tree has self-confidence issues! But it’s a gorgeous tree, even without the tinsel and lights and ornaments. But isn’t it just like a tree/human to think they need that extra pizazz to be loved?

I’m glad that we opted to get a live tree this year, if only so I could sit next to it and sneak glances at it like a school girl with a crush. People say you should surround yourself with things that make you smile, and while, for the most part, I take this to mean people, I’m willing to make a concession on behalf of this Christmas tree. It makes me smile, and human or not, that makes me want it in my life.

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