Song: O Christmas Tree

Blipfoto Entry 1/365

As long as I can remember one of the most important symbols of Winter for me has been the Christmas Tree. Only within the last 5 or so years have I realized that this has become quite a point of controversy, one of which my own school recently went through. It made me think a lot about why it's so important to me, the impact it has on others and, perhaps most importantly, the way it's perceived and communicated in our society.

So the first thought, why a Christmas tree is so important to me, is actually pretty easy and, surprisingly enough, has nothing to do with religion. For as long as I can remember, a Christmas Tree has always meant love, family and relationships. I still remember the last Christmas Tree I decorated with my family before my parents got divorced. I still remember the first Christmas Tree I decorated with my girlfriend in grad school, the first tree I decorated away from my family. I still remember the age-old, "white-lights vs. colored-lights" debate with an ex-girlfriend of mine. This year, it's my first Christmas Tree with my wife Kaitlyn (a pretty important tree, let me tell ya). I love Christmas Trees because of the relationships they remind me of, and the importance of love in those relationships.

I guess if I wanted to send a message to anyone bothered by the sight of a Christmas Tree (and I understand how you feel, believe me), I guess I would ask not to look at my tree as a religious symbol, or a sign of my belief in a higher power, but a symbol of my belief in love and my relationships with the people in my life.