Christmas Magic.(Kevin Hughes) He couldn’t help himself. He had to go stand in the middle of all those Christmas trees outside the local Grocery store. There must have been a hundred trees. All freshly cut, with that wonderful pine scent that lures folks in to buy the trees in the first place.

He wandered down aisle after aisle of Blue Spruce, several varieties of Fir trees, and (of course) the old reliable Pine trees too. Each with a distinctive smell, arraignment of needles, and shades of color that distinguish them from each other.

Finally he found a tree that just drew him in. He leaned in close, reached through the needles and let his hand wrap around the slightly sticky sap coated trunk.

Suddenly, he was back in time. He could feel the excitement of his fifteen year old self. Him and his Dad had just returned from getting the Family Christmas tree. One that would barely fit in their living room.

His Mom’s delight at seeing the tree shown through her eyes, leaving her to lean up against her Husband and plant a wet kiss on his cheek.

“Bob, that is a gorgeous tree!”

Bob beamed back at her.

“Thanks, Gus!”

(It was only years later that the young man learned that “Gus” was a nickname usually reserved for men, but was also used for women named Agnes)

They put the tree in the stand. As was part of the tradition, the young man could feel himself adding a tablespoon of Maple syrup to the water at the base of the tree. His Father said it would keep the tree healthy and the needles wouldn’t fall off.

And doggone if that didn’t work just like his Dad said.

But this Christmas was different. He was fifteen years old, a Sophomore in High School, and he had a girlfriend. A real girlfriend. She was one year behind him in school, and two years ahead of him in Life.

She was quiet, shy, smart, and funny…and the most beautiful girl he had ever met. She held his hand whenever he was near, and when no one else was nearby…she would kiss him. Their first kiss said it all.

They were destined to be in love... forever. For just a moment, he slipped out of the memory of time all the way back to the present moment.

He had spent sixty seven Christmases with that same pretty, shy, smart, and funny girl. Sixty one of those as Man and Wife. This was his first Christmas without her.

He let go of that thought by just taking a deep inhale of the pine scent wafting off of all the trees. Immediately transporting him back to that Christmas when he was just fifteen years old.

The tree was up when the doorbell rang. It was her. He beamed as he led her into the living room to see the tree. Of course they did exchange a quick little kiss in the hallway, which quickened both their hearts a bit.

He took her coat and put it in the hall closet, then took her hand and lead her into the living room. Her eyes lit up just like his Mom’s had when she saw the tree.

There must be something in Nature that women connect with that men lack, he thought to himself. Because both his Mother and his Girl, seemed to get wide eyed with wonder when they saw the tree.

His Girl let a little gasp eek out:

“Oh, My. Mr. Shaw, you sure know how to pick them!”

His Dad blushed. His Mother nodded in agreement. And he secretly hoped that he would have his Dad’s ability to spot the perfect tree when he had his own home, and family.

(He did.)

Dad and Mom were the only ones allowed to decorate the tree. Some of the ornaments were over a century old. So none of his six siblings, or himself- were allowed to even touch those ornaments.

Some were handmade by his siblings …or him. He could always spot the clay ornament he had made when he was five. It was just his hand with the fingers painted in different colors. Yet it had made the tree. Each of his brother’s and sisters had something they had made themselves dangling somewhere on that tree.

His Mom had a small Tea Pot, that was paper thin -almost transparent- that nobody but her was allowed to touch. It was over 120 years old. Made sometime in the late 1800’s. It was passed down from her Grandmother, to her Mother, and later…to her. It was always the last ornament to put on the tree.

But tinsel? Oh, that the kids were allowed to place on the tree. Every one of the seven children got a wad of tinsel; some silver, some gold, and some that weird glitter like color.

Nobody was home except his Mom and Dad, so he and his Girlfriend got to sling the Tinsel on themselves. They giggled and laughed as she bent over doubling laughing at his tinsel placing technique.

He had none.

He just would throw a glob of shiny tinsel up and let gravity and luck determine its landing place.

She kissed him lightly to let him know she was not laughing at him, just at his technique. Then she showed him how to hang a single tinsel, with great care, in the exact spot to heighten the drama of the ornament near by. Or to sparkle next to one of the colored bulbs.

He had to admit that her way of placing tinsel made the tree a lot prettier. But it took much longer, and some serious study to do correctly. It was one of just many little things he learned from her.

Later that night they all sat around watching Charlie Brown’s Christmas, sipping hot chocolate and eating some of Mom’s incredible pumpkin cookies.

Then he remembered putting her hat and coat on her, grabbing his own hat, gloves and coat, and walking out into the gently falling snow. He would walk her home safely. It was his favorite part of every Winter night.

The muffled sounds, the lights flickering off the snow, the gentle crunch of boots cracking through the frozen outer layer of snow…and her laugh held in the air by the cold.

The many stops for a quick hug, or nuzzle of cold nose against a warm neck. Or frozen lips gently pried apart by a warm tongue…those moments were all crafted into the scene with Christmas as a backdrop.

So many memories, he could stay here forever he thought. More memories came. He savored them all as the smell of pine weaved its spell on him.

“How long was he standing there?”

The Clerk looked over at the Police Woman.

“I don’t know. One of the Customers came in and said there was an old man outside holding a Christmas Tree…but he isn’t moving.

I came out to check. I tapped him lightly on the shoulder to see if he was okay. He had a soft smile on his face. Like he was somewhere else having a good time. But…but…he wasn’t breathing.

I didn’t know what to do. So called the Police and an ambulance. The Paramedics said it was the darnedest thing. They told me it was okay that I didn’t try and do CPR, because we would have had to knock the man loose from the tree, and then try and get him on the ground.

And it would not have mattered. He had been dead for awhile already. They told her it was the most peaceful death they had ever seen. She agreed. She didn’t feel sad at all finding the old man. He looked so happy.

They did finally put the old man on a gurney, the smile on his face still softly generating peace and love on those that saw it. So much so that one of the ER Nurses that brought the body in remarked:

“I hope I go with a smile like that on my face. “

“Yeah, me too.” Said the Paramedic handing over the clipboard.

The old man knew nothing of that conversation, or even of being torn from the tree.

He had finally reached his Girlfriend’s house. Her Mother told them both to get in out of that deathly cold before they caught a chill.

“Would you like to stay and warm up for a while? We were just going to watch Scrooge. We can make an extra cup of hot chocolate and we have plenty of Oreos.”

He looked over at his Girlfriend. She winked. He laughed inside. He knew what she meant. You can never stay too long with the ones you love, and there is always room for Hot Chocolate and cookies.

“Sure Mrs. Hudeczech …if it isn’t too much trouble.”

Laughing she replied:

“ It is never to much trouble when you are with my daughter. In fact, while I get things ready, why don’t you young kids go stand under the mistletoe.”

He blushed, his Girlfriend blushed.. and blurted out:

“Mom!”

She laughed again.

“You are only young once. Go ahead and get under the mistletoe. Your Dad and I already did …a couple of times.”

This time it was the young man and his girlfriend who laughingly said:

“Yuck!”

But they followed instructions and left for the alcove that held the mistletoe. The smell of their tree blending oh so well with the aroma of hot chocolate warming on the stove. Her Mother was right….you are only young once.

Or maybe, forever.

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