A Christmas Tree for Agape

The U.S. Forest Service issued the permits enabling those of us living at Holden Village to cut Christmas trees. Generally speaking, one tree per residence was allowed. We were given some general guidelines as to the area open for cutting and some general prohibitions about where not to go to search for a Christmas tree and which kinds of trees not to cut.

With our permit for Agape in a backpack and a hand saw borrowed from the carpentry shop, three of us headed out on the trail toward 10-Mile Falls to search for a suitable tree to decorate what is called "the common area" of our residence. We did not have to go very far. Only a short way down the trail, we looked off to our right down in a ravine and spotted a couple possible candidates.

One of the trees turned out to be better than the other and we decided to look no further. It was, in fact, a rather remarkable tree in both its shape and its size and its fullness. You don't often see such trees here in a natural environment in which simple survival is quite difficult.

Aneta Bunke cut the tree and Liz Langeland carried it along the 10-Mile Trail back to the village. You will, of course, notice the absence of any snow along the trail. The fabulous pre-Thanksgiving snow had disappeared by December 6, and we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of its replacement in time for the Christmas season. That being said, it was far, far easier to trek through the woods, find a tree, cut it, and haul it back to the village without having to deal with a major accumulation of snow. Not as perfect as a painting on a Christmas card. Just easier.

Back at Agape, the end of the trunk was trimmed, and Carole Young helped get the tree into the tree stand and maneuvered into an upright position in the corner of the "common area."

To start the lights at the top of the tree or to start the lights at the bottom of the tree...that is the question. Opinions were divided so Liz took matters into her own hands and began at the top.

Enter Karen Haines to assist with the lights and with such decorations as we could find or create. Decorating a Christmas tree at Holden often calls for ingenuity. If you are missing something, you cannot jump in your car and go to a store and purchase it. You do without, or you make what you have on hand suffice.

The final touch to any Christmas tree, Aneta puts the star on the topmost branch. This particular star, made of reeds and shaped into a 3-dimensional design, was made by Mary Sather, also a resident of Agape.

In good spirits,
And in concert
With the others,
I had gone
Into the forest
In search of a tree.

Still in good spirits,
And still in agreement
With the others,
I joined in the decision
As to which tree to cut.

But with the first sound
Of the serrated steel blade
Separating the tree
From its root,
I felt remorse.

Too many times
I had marveled
At the tenacity
Of just such trees,
And now I had cut one down.

Too many times
I had tried to photograph
The collected light of the sun
On the branches of just such trees,
And now its limbs are draped with artificial lights.

Too many times
I had stopped and listened to the wind
Moving through the branches
Of just such trees,
And now this one is propped in an airless room.

It is there we sit in silence
Keeping company with one another.