A Single Tree

    Every December, a Christmas tree catches my eye. It stands alone beside a field.
    What attracts me is the simplicity of the scene. There’s no Santa Claus statues near it, or glowing wreaths, or other electronic displays.
    To photograph the tree, I hauled a tripod and camera through a thicket of branches. The night was cold. I positioned my tripod on the opposite side of the field.
    Behind me, occasional cars drove by. Drivers couldn’t see me. I was hidden by trees.
    I used a timer on the camera. When I exposed for the Christmas lights, the back-
ground turned black. When exposing for the background, the Christmas lights washed out. What a pain! (Photoshop to the rescue on this one).
    Time went by. I grew colder.
    The thought occurred to me that Mary and Joseph must have been cold on that first Christmas eve. That random thought disrupted my concentration. I paused in the photo taking.
   I viewed the scene no longer as a photographic challenge, but merely for its beauty. A sense of peacefulness took hold.
    I looked up at the sky and said, “Happy Birthday, Jesus.”