O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree, how relatable are your branches!

My second favorite Christmas tree has hit a rough patch.

A handful of messages alerted me to its struggles.

“Have you seen the tree in City Park?” my friend Jeannie texted. “Looks like the wind got the better of it. We will have to go down there and string up lights.”

Naturally, I popped downtown to take a look.

“I just drove past,” I responded. “Which one of us is going to shimmy up that thing?”

“I’ll give you a boost,” she said.

Jeannie and I have been friends for 54 years. I love that we can still plan (though probably not execute) shenanigans.

My friend Kathleen also messaged me.

“You need to go check out the Christmas tree at City Park because the lights are a mess,” she wrote. “Please write a story about it.”

I took another trip to the park and saw two women underneath it, shaking their heads sorrowfully.

“Must have been all that rain,” they said.

Our beautiful tree did look spent. Lights slid down toward her midsection in an unflattering clump. Her top half stood dark and forlorn.

A politely oblivious star still twinkled brightly atop the whole mess, but I thought her smile seemed a little forced.

I looked that poor, magnificent tree up and down with sympathy (and, perhaps empathy as well). I have a different theory of what went wrong. I think trees are just like people and sometimes we both just need a break, especially in December.

All that pressure to sparkle can wear a body down.

Maybe the City Park Christmas Tree just needs a little mid-holiday season downtime to gear up for the big show.

And who among us hasn’t looked a little frazzled this year anyway?

I think we’se (and the trees’se) due for a jammie day.

And then, once we’ve enjoyed a little re-set, we can find our glow again.

(And maybe the Appleton Parks and Recreation Department can give our poor tree a hand with that).

I hope you all have a restful weekend and then…

Let it shine! Let it shine! Let it shine!