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My family usually bought a Christmas tree, but one year we went into the woods behind our house. We climbed over one of the old stonewalls that spiderweb throughout New England and followed the snowmobile trail, the sky above flashing like a scene from “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” Under the mature canopy we found what seemed to be an insignificant tree.
I remember the pang of guilt before the cut. We dragged the tree home through the snow, the stars piercing us like they only can in winter. Back home, we put on the lights and decorations, all of us knit together by the scent that filled our home. This is one of the most primal memories of my childhood, as strong as the sap that stuck to our hands that night.
Commentary: The little evergreen on Wiseman Blvd.
Rafael Castillo For the Express-News
Dec. 11, 2020
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This decorated humble tree brought a smile and lifted my spirits. I’m grateful to the folks who have been dutifully decorating it all these years.Rafael Castillo /For the Express-News
On tree-lined acreage at the corner of Wiseman Boulevard and Westover Hills sits a short, humble evergreen. It’s wrapped with golden garland interspersed with peppermint ribbons. Poinsettia leaves dot the tree with its bright red, lively emerald and golden Christmas ornaments. A silver star crowns the tip of the little spruce as if saying, “Merry Christmas!” Towering evergreens keep watch behind their tyke as it greets passersby and speeding motorists.