Normally, it is a bit sad, but this year I'm so ready...

We joined the bandwagon of those who put up their Christmas tree early this year. Anything to spark a little joy in the midst of a pandemic seemed worth it to all of us. However...

We have some unknown, mystical, adverse effect on Christmas lights. Every year for the past forever, we have to pause while putting up lights and run to the store to buy new strands of lights because two or more don't work when we unpack them. Same thing this year. They should have a warning on all boxes of Christmas lights: "DISPOSABLE: DISCARD AFTER ONE USE or pack away with the false hope that they will work in 12 months." 

When I returned home from the store this year, the girls had laboriously placed lights on 2/3 of the tree. They then laboriously placed the two strands I bought on the top 1/3 of the tree. We stood back and realized that the top 1/3 had way more lights than the bottom 2/3, but - oh well! We left it. 

Until the next day...

Upon turning the lights on, we realized, to our mortification and dismay, that the bottom 2/3 of our tree was completely dark, while the top 1/3 of our tree sparkled like millions of tiny diamonds. 

Luckily, I convinced the family to not put the tree in the window this year, to save us from rearranging the furniture. 

Every day, I looked at that tree, and pondered if I should run to the store and get more lights to rescue Christmas, and then come home, take all the ornaments off, take all the old strands of lights off, put new strands of lights on, and replace the ornaments. I just couldn't quite convince myself to do it, although looking at that tree every day did prove a bit depressing to one's spirit.

So this year, the feeling of sadness that pricks at me when it is time to take the tree down is not there. I'm a bit happy to have the eyesore leave our living room. 

Many times I tried to find symbolism or meaning in our sparsely lit tree, but I could come up with nothing. So maybe like many things in 2020 we are just happy to disassemble it, throw away the broken parts, pack it up and not look at it again until Christmas 2021.

Maybe 2020 should have had a warning on its packaging "DISPOSABLE: DISCARD AFTER ONE USE!"