Once upon a time there lived a boy named Sean who lived with his father Mr. Wilbert. A week before Christmas, when he was five years old, his mother died of cancer.

Five years later, Sean and his dad were both still lonely. Mr. Wilbert saw him playing video games.

Mr. Wilbert asked sadly, “Son is there anything in the world you can do besides play video games all day?”

Sean replied pitifully, “Well, yes I can but I just don’t feel like doing anything right now. I feel like staring at the screen.”

Mr. Wilbert left. When Sean finished his level and turned the TV off, he heard someone or something say, “Sean.” Sean screamed when he saw the Christmas tree lights blink.

Mr. Wilbert ran into the living room and asked, “What in the world is going on son? What’s the matter?”

Sean stuttered and replied, “I-I hea-rd t-t-he tree talk. It j-ust said my name.”

Mr. Wilbert rolled his eyes and uttered, “Son, if you don’t stop playing your video games I’m going to have to unplug the TV.”

Sean yelled, “Dad I really saw it. I really heard that tree talk. I know, I did Trust me!”

Mr. Wilbert rolled his eyes and walked into the kitchen and drank his coffee.

Sean whispered, “Tree, what do you want?”

The Christmas tree replied, “I am afraid that after Christmas I will be thrown out and chopped into a tree cutting machine. I really don’t want to die.”

Sean whispered back, “I know. When my dad leaves I’ll hide you in the food cabinet until my dad stops looking for you.”

The tree whispered, “Okay thank you so much.”

Mr. Wilbert yelled from the kitchen , “I’m leaving! I’ll be back later!”

Sean acknowledged his dad, “Okay dad.”

After Mr. Wilbert left, Sean told the tree to follow him and then it asked “Wow you have a big food cabinet. Want me to help you carry food out into the basement?”

Sean replied, “Sure. Thanks.”

After they took food into the basement, Sean yelled, “Oh no, my dad will be home in five minutes. What are we going to do? Hurry jump into the cabinet.” The tree jumped right in. 

Sean warned, “Don’t say a word. Keep still or you will be caught by my dad and I will be in trouble for putting you in here okay?”

The tree quickly uttered, “Okay.”

Sean closed the closet and got out a game and thought, “Maybe that will keep my dad’s mind off the missing tree or even mom.”

Mr. Wilbert opened the door and asked, “Hi son. What that you got in your hand?”

Sean replied, “Oh it’s a board game called, “Scrabble.” I thought we could play a game just to find happiness in this world.”

Mr. Wilbert uttered excitedly, “Okay son let’s go play it.”

As Sean was playing with his dad, something didn’t feel right. He was thinking of the tree in the closet and the death of his mother. It didn’t feel like Christmas at all. So then he replied, “Dad, um……I have something to tell you.”

Mr. Wilbert excitedly but curiously asked, “Yes! I got twenty four points! Um… yes son?”

Sean replied, “I placed the tree in the food cabinet because……” ? He paused and continued, “I know you don’t believe me. But the tree told me that it is afraid to die and wanted me to help him. So that’s why I hid him in the closet. Because I wanted him to stay safe.”

Mr. Wilbert uttered, “Son did you know that even though trees die, that God has a reason for them to do so? So even if this tree dies we know that it is God’s will. We can work on saving trees by using less paper okay? So let’s go get that tree and place it up right.”

Sean and Mr. Wilbert ran into the kitchen to get that tree out of the cabinet. They placed it in the living room. Sean explained, “Tree, did you know that if you die, you are dieing to make paper for us.”

The Tree replied, “Now I am not afraid to die because now I have a superb reason to do so. Thanks for trying to save me.”

The next day Mr. Wilbert uttered, “Sean, here you can give this gift to the Christmas tree.”

Sean handed the tree the gift. Then the Tree opened it and oh how its leaves glistened in the bright sun and how its lights blinked with joy. The Tree replied, “Thank you so much. It’s a very beautiful paper shaped ornament.”

After Christmas was over, Sean and his dad spent time together sharing the funny stories that Mrs. Wilbert used to tell Sean when he was little.

Mr. Wilbert spoke, “I just want to say something to you Sean. If it hadn’t been for your mother marrying me, then you to giving birth to you and I would have never known another. So I am just so overjoyed to have a wonderful son like you.” Sean didn’t say anything. He just gave his dad a big hug.

Moral: Remember that even though trees don’t go to heaven, they do get made into paper. So you can help save trees by trying not using so much paper. Remember that God has his reasons to make trees die!