Christmas Spirit

Santa made my day. Actually he was a younger, more fit version but white-bearded and with a similar spirit who thankfully had his Christmas tree lot open, selling off his last six trees. I asked, "How much?" He replied, "The price of a cup of coffee." He trimmed the bottom and the lowest branches of the loveliest, best smelling frasier fir I had even seen, wrapped it snugly in mesh, and loaded it in the trunk. I paid him $12, two more than his asking price. He said in the past few days he had been selling more to Germans (I did not know there were so many in our city!) who do not have "Thanksgiving trees" but actually wait til Christmas approaches to do their Tannenbaum. By tomorrow evening, my tree will be in its place of honor, lit and sparkling, and holding memories of Christmases past.