Christmas Tree Tradition

With the fast pace of life in the 21st Century, I believe traditions are more important than ever. They require commitment, planning, and a willingness to adjust your expectations. For my family, our tradition is an annual Christmas tree hunt – Clark Griswold style.

For the past 8 years around the start of December, my wife Anna and I have obtained our tree permit at the Forest Service office and adventured out in the backcountry to find the perfect tree. It is easily my favorite day of the year. Just us – no distractions – and nothing that can trump it on the calendar. I always imagine the most pristine noble fir illuminating in the forest – making our choice simple and easy. The weather is perfect, we get to relax and enjoy time in nature, capture a great family photo, and get back to the house in a timely manner to set the tree up that night.

However, that is never how it goes.

In reality, we typically pack far too many things in the truck. If someone saw us, they would guess that we were going on a two-week road trip. We are probably running late, with my military background clashing with my wife’s easy-going nature. Most likely, the snow coverage is suspect with a mix of rain and wind. Multiple times, we returned to the car in the dark. One time we even forgot our headlamps. The tree typically doesn’t fit on our child-sized sled we bought at a local hardware store, resulting in a strange balancing act as we both try to keep the sled upright. Our saw (which we never remember to buy a cover for) ends up cutting one of us or some of our gear. One year, we got our tree on Christmas eve, put it up that night, and then flew out to visit family the following day.

It never goes smoothly, but we love every minute of it. At the end of the day, it is a period of time that we commit to do something as a family. We started on snowshoes – adding skis, sleds, dogs, and now a baby girl into the mix. The more the merrier!

So maybe your traditions aren’t just once a year. Maybe they happen each week. However often they occur, I challenge you to commit to them and enjoy the process.