This page updated October 24, 1997

Almost PerfecT

by Jym Kruse

Jym Kruse of Fremont, Nebraska, is a professional storyteller and member of the National Storyteller's Association. ©1995 Jym Kruse.

So Jacob got out his money, paid an exorbitant price for the little tree, gently picked it up, and headed for their station wagon. It was the station wagon with the luggage rack on top where they always tied down their huge tree because it would never fit inside. He opened the back door of the station wagon. Curled up on the floor of the back of the wagon were two coils of rope brought along for the purpose of tying down the tree. He gently laid the little tree in the back next to the rope. It fit very easily.

The children had been amazingly quiet up to this point, but once inside the car they couldn't hold back their tears anymore. Their words came also. "Christmas is ruined!" "It isn't even a tree." "Why did we even bother!" After the short ride home, Jacob got the tree out of the car and brought it into the house. He was feeling even worse than the children were.

Occasionally it takes a very long time for the meaning of a past event to finally filter into one's mind. As Jacob stood there on that day looking at his less than perfect Nativity set, at the palm tree overlooking the manger, thinking back on the past week, he realized that pathetic Christmas trees weren't the only things in need of transformation.