Editor’s note: This column was originally published in The Kewanee Voice’s print edition the Holiday Herald.
Years ago, I wrote this column dedicated to what was once a cherished part of the Mikenas family’s holiday season-the downtown community Christmas tree. This symbol of the holidays proudly stood in the middle of the intersection of Second and Tremont streets in Kewanee. Twenty years later and my family still bemoans its demise. I also believe some stories bear repeating. And so…
There was once a small town that celebrated every Christmas by placing a large evergreen Christmas tree in the middle of a busy intersection in the downtown business district. Though this tree was a source of joy for many of its citizens, it also drew criticism from a few who bore little community pride and suffered from a definite lack of Christmas Spirit. They argued it was a menace to public safety and urged the parties responsible for the tree’s installation to change its location. And so, one year the town decided to shun tradition and no longer display their beautiful and unique Christmas tree.
Appalled by the decision to relent and give in to the “Scrooges” in the area, a young man decided to take matters into his own hands and once again restore and gift the town with the beauty of a community Christmas tree.
He began to formulate his plan. He knew and understood his limitations. He would not be able to single-handedly install a large evergreen in the middle of the town. He would have to settle with a tree of more modest proportions. He enlisted the aid of his family.
When he informed his mother of his plan, he was a little fearful that she would discourage him from implementing such actions. He need not worry. For she was just as outraged at the holiday atrocity. She reassured him she would stand behind his plot and helped him with the logistics to successfully carry out his mission.
The first and most important issue was safety. The young man bought bright red reflectors to hang on all sides of the tree. The tree was then cemented into a large five-gallon bucket and decorated with many red bows and bright gold garland. In one last measure of safety, he also purchased fluorescent orange traffic cones to place all around the tree. They then painted a large sign wishing the town “Merry Christmas” and wired the sign to the tree’s branches. The only thing left to do was install the tree.
Unclear on the restrictions of legality concerning this Christmas caper they decided to forge on intent on their purpose of restoring the Christmas spirit to their hometown. Ever conscious of a good story, the mother innocently suggests to the youngest daughter that she don her Santa’s elf costume while perpetrating this mastermind of Christmas chicanery. The reason for the costume being, “If I have to read about my children in the police blotter, then the least they could do is go down in a blaze of glory and give the citizens of our small community something to remember.”
While the daughter readily agreed, her brother felt left out, for he too wanted to dress up, but as what?
And then it came to him. He had the perfect costume, his “Pink Nightmare / Bunny” jammies. On Halloween that year he had dressed as Ralphie from the movie, “A Christmas Story.”
And so it came to pass that at approximately 11:45 p.m. on a cold Sunday, December evening in 2005, an overly tall elf armed with a bag of silver fairy dust drove from the family home in a green 4×4.
The 4×4’s cargo hold was filled to the brim with a six-foot trimmed and decorated Christmas tree and a young man dressed as a large furry pink rabbit. The two Christmas culprits were operating under the code names of, “Red Bird” and “The Pink Nightmare.” The third accomplice was an overanxious older sister who was tagged with the handle, “Weak Link.”
The Weak Link was attired in inconspicuous street clothes and traveling in an unmarked granny-style sedan. They then all turned their cell phones to walkie-talkie mode. The Weak link’s assignment was simple; she was supposed to park her car at the intersection and act as a look out. Then once the tree was in place she had to hop out of her car and quickly get a picture of the lovely Christmas tree seated in its new home.
But alas, Weak link was nervous, her responsible mothering instincts warring to take over. She seemed unable to sit still and so didn’t stay at her designated post, instead she drove around the downtown area. This caused havoc with the elf and bunny. Every time they went to unload their present, they saw headlights on the horizon and had to abort the drop. They experienced three unsuccessful attempts before their mission was complete.
With the tree delivered and the blurry picture taken, the little band of merry makers returned home undetected and filled with the warmth and glow brought on by the holiday spirit.
The next morning the mother found a copy of the police blotter laying on her desk with an entry that read a tree and traffic cones were removed at 1:48 a.m. The young group’s gift to their community was short-lived. But the rejection of their present did not dishearten the trio’s Christmas spirit. Though their gift’s life as a community tree was a mere couple of hours, for those few hours it stood proudly in the intersection as evidence to the town that Christmas is a time for love, sharing and giving to others.
May you hold Christmas in your heart all year long and your inner child never disappears.
From my family to yours, “Merry Christmas.”
