KEEPING THE LIGHTS ON

“Oh, come on!” I cried as I sat down on the couch after cleaning the kitchen and saw another section of our Christmas tree lights had gone out. “What’s the deal with you?”

“Who are you talking to?” My son Alex asked as he walked into the living room.

I pointed to our tree. “Another section went out! I’m really starting to hate this…” I held my hands up to do air quotes for “pre-lit tree!”

“Well, it made it past Christmas.” Alex tried to reason with me.

“No, it didn’t!” I said as I got up and went to the hall closet, reaching up on the shelf where several boxes of Christmas tree lights were stacked. “I’m glad I got a few boxes of these at the beginning of the season.” I opened the box, plugged the light into the middle of the tree and began wrapping the new lights around the burnt out sections.

“Can you grab the other end of this?” I asked Alex as I held out the bulk of the lights while trying to weave them around the already hung ornaments.

“Sure.” Alex took them while I, inch by inch, tucked them around the branches.

When we were done I stood back to see if I’d gotten all the right sections. “It’s so ridiculous!” I complained. “This is only the third year for this tree!”

I was shaking my head as I went over to fix the position of some of the lights. “I knew getting a pre-lit tree was a mistake.”

“Hey, I was with you and Dad when you bought this.” Alex sat down on the couch putting his feet up on the coffee table. “Don’t you remember we couldn’t find one that wasn’t pre-lit?”

I sighed as I sat down next to him. “Why is it that they keep making things that, at first, seem like they’re better but instead they turn out to be a cheep version of the original?”

Alex shrugged his shoulders. “Progress?”

I had to laugh. “Progress.” I too put my feet up on the coffee table leaning back against the cushions.

We heard the key in the front unlock and felt a blast of cold air sweep through the room.

“It sure is cold out there!” My husband Steven called from the foyer as he unzipped his coat and put it in the front hall closet. “What are you two up to?” He asked as he came into the living room.

“We’re just sitting here enjoying the tree.” Alex said.

Steven stood next to the couch. “The tree really looks great.” He put his hand on my shoulder. “You know I really didn’t think I’d like this tree, but it seems to be working out great.” He patted my shoulder before heading into the kitchen. “What are we doing for lunch?” He called.

“The crock pot had chicken soup ready for you.” I called back.

Alex leaned over to me. “He doesn’t know that the lights on the tree keep going out?” He whispered.

I shook my head. “He knew about the one strand that went out before Christmas but you jiggled the wire and it came back on.” I looked over my shoulder to see if Steven was still in the kitchen. “After that I’d just fix it before your Dad came home.”

Alex looked confused. “Why didn’t you tell him?”

I shrugged my shoulders. “It’s all part of keeping the Christmas magic alive.”

“What?”

But before I could answer further Steven came back in the room holding a mug of chicken soup, blowing on the surface before taking a sip. “What can I say…” He said as he put the mug on the coffee table and sat down next to me. “It’s another year and another great Christmas.” He leaned forward and looked at Alex who was sitting on the other side of me. “Am I right?”

“You’re right.” Alex agreed.

I turned to Alex and smiled. “That’s why.”