Daily Cascade

On Lessons from a Christmas Tree

Prompt: The Christmas Tree

Lessons from a Christmas Tree:
Be a light in the darkness.
We all fall over sometimes.
You can never wear too much glitter.
Bring joy to others.
Sparkle and twinkle as often as possible.
It's okay to be a little tilted.
Jane Lee Logan
What do you think this poem-quote means? And/or, what does being a little tilted mean to you?

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Such pine-scented wisdom, don't you think? It seems to me the "Live, Laugh, Love" plaque in a gift shop is wearing a tinsel scarf, here. Yet, that scarf is being picked up by a rebellious elf. On top of it all, all that wise advice is being offered by a chopped-down speaker-tree who is decorated possibly against its will and expected to perform cheerfully for a few days, only. As if a last will and testament. But afterwards??? Oh, that poor Christmas tree!

Still, despite its approaching end, the tree might be saying, "Look here, if I can glow while drying and dying out, so can you. That is, after I shed my dignity onto your rug." With this, it exemplifies the advice, "Be a light in the darkness.”

What is not metaphorical here is that trees fall, lean, get pushed over by cats, toddlers, and maybe a drunk relative who gestures wildly while telling a story. So, the tree says, “We all fall over sometimes,” which is only physics and not the tree's failure.

Then, I have to give it to the tree's good nature when it says, “You can never wear too much glitter.” “Sparkle and twinkle as often as possible” reinforces this idea of the tree showing off. Well, it may be wonderful for a tree, but too much glitter is too much for me. And although the tree may scoff at my restraint, at my minimalism, does the tree know that glitter is its armor and my armor is evading attraction?

After I have pointed that out, I can balance it with this line from the tree: “Bring joy to others.” This is good advice even when I may feel lopsided. It may even mean to me something like, don't do anything but be there, be present. At times, just showing up over or under-dressed and leaning to one's side can show resilience, good humor, and willingness to be in the presence of others.

Then, my favorite advice shines better than any glitter on any tree: “It’s okay to be a little tilted.” The word "tilted" shows wisdom and it doesn't mean being broken. It means 'lived-in.' It means being bumped by reality. It means I don't choose to straighten myself to please others. Plus, a tilted tree still lights the place more memorably, at times, than a perfectly upright one.

I certainly hope, people will remember that tilted tree, together with me, as the ones that almost fell over and were leaning toward chaos, but still kept shining, anyway.