A personal reflection on a New Year's Day walk, sparked by the encounter with a discarded Christmas tree and the contrast with the author's own dried-out tree.
Last New Year ’s Day, I took a walk, the first of the year. Snow-covered lawns flanked the snow-covered road, a glaring white landscape that made me squint despite sunglasses. Each step felt heavy and I vowed to make walking my 2024 daily practice. Rounding the corner, I saw a Christmas tree lying on its side, unadorned and abandoned a full two days before the city’s scheduled pick up. I stopped to touch its branches, ran my fingers along a bough. It was still supple, not even brittle.
It had been well watered and well cared for until this day. Our tree, by contrast, was already dry as a bone, as we had been away for more than a week on a Christmas excursion to see family and friends. On the note we left our cat sitter, we had added a request to water the tree, but perhaps with the myriad needs of our 20-year-old feline, she forgot. Indeed, the cat sitter wrote that Pablo had run whenever she arrived, hid under the couch and refused to eat. The size of our other cat, Mimou, confirmed where the extra food had gone. Clearly, trying to catch Pablo had taken priority. Thus, we returned to two healthy cats but a dehydrated tree. The bowl of the tree stand was empty; I filled the trough, but it didn’t drink. We turned on the lights anyway. I like to keep our Christmas tree up as long as possible. Growing up, my family always kept the tree up until mid-January. I loved how winter evenings were filled with that warm glow. As soon as the darkness set in, the lights came on. My favourite place to sit was next to the tree, and in years when we had a full house and not enough beds, I happily volunteered to sleep next to it, too. Winter, with its short days and long, dark nights, feels interminable. The tree’s lights shroud us from this bleakness and give warmth without a fireplace. I continued on my New Year’s walk and thought about the abandoned tre
CHRISTMAS NEW YEAR REFLECTION NATURE HOLIDAYS
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A new dawn: reflections on the end of the Syrian warThe Hill Times
Read more »
CBC New Year’s Eve programming returns a year after being cut for financial reasonsNational public broadcaster announces it will air a English-language program called Canada Live! Countdown 2025, hosted by Adrienne Arsenault and Ian Hanomansing
Read more »
GTA New Home Sales Slump 55% Year-Over-YearThe GTA new home market continues to struggle with a significant decline in sales, attributed to high construction costs and interest rates. Government intervention is seen as crucial to alleviate the pressure on builders and stimulate the market.
Read more »
New Year's Eve Round Dance to bring in a sober and healing yearL-R Fawn Meshake and Bess Legarde are organizers of the New Year's Eve round dance on Fort William First Nation.
Read more »
Hey Pandas, What New Things Have You Planned For The New Year?Hello, dear Pandas! With 2024 coming to an end and 2025 just around the corner, I’m curious—what changes or resolutions have you planned for the new year? Wishing you happy holidays and a 2025 filled with joy and success!
Read more »
New year, new budget: A step-by-step guide on how to refresh your financesA simple copy and paste of your 2024 budget isn't enough to help you achieve your goals and maximize your finances for the new year, experts say. 'Things don't stay the same.'
Read more »