The Little Fir and the Christmas Tree Angel is a friend’s story I illustrated forty years ago. It evolved into a slide show with a beautiful sound track, and now it’s a gently-moving video which we’ve just put online.
The story is based on a true event in the First Great Depression. It appears we are now in a Second Great Depression catalyzed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This gave us an opportunity to repeat that long-ago event.
In the story, the Christmas Tree Angel comes to the tree farm to announce that some trees will be taken to the city to bring joy to people there. A straggly little tree who yearns to be chosen is taken to the city.
Around winter solstice 2020 we cut eighteen small Douglas fir trees. Besides fulfilling this story, it continues our year spent thinning out thousands of small trees to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health here at Lone Bobcat Woods.
Janaia’s sister Terry took the trees home to Tracy. She unloaded them for a brief stay outside a friend’s restaurant.
In the story, no one chooses the straggly little tree in the tree lot. She falls into deep despair. She is the only tree left on Christmas eve. But a woman enters the lot just as the man is about to close it. The woman cannot afford to buy a Christmas tree because her husband is ill. She persuades the tree lot owner to let her borrow the little tree for Christmas day.
In Tracy, some people having financial challenges in this difficult COVID year were personally invited to take a tree.
In the story, the woman joyously carries the little tree home.
In Tracy, we trust that the little trees found their way into many homes.
An especially bountiful little fir from Lone Bobcat Woods went to our mother Rowena, now 97. This is Mom’s first live Christmas tree in many years.
In the story, the woman decorates the tree with treasured ornaments from years before.
My mother has done likewise. The ornaments reflect memories of Janaia’s family and Robin’s family in the 1950s, and several friends, some of whom are no longer alive except in our hearts.
In the story, the little tree brings great joy to the family on a Christmas day, just as the angel had promised. The family is blessed by generosity from friends and neighbors.
May that be true as well for those who received little fir trees from Lone Bobcat Woods in 2020.
And we extend that prayer to everyone everywhere.
May all beings have a warm, safe and treasured holiday, one that reminds them that they are loved, truly loved.
From the Christmas Tree Angel’s 2020 ambassadors,
Janaia, Robin and Terry
Now, watch this magical story:
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