Opinion: RHETA JOHNSON: A giving tree that beckons
BAY ST. LOUIS
This town, in most ways, is a model of what small towns can be when people pull together instead of apart. It doesn’t hurt that it has quaint houses the color of melons and sherbet and sits by the shimmering sea. Ten years ago, this community went through the worst a place can endure, and came out stronger, friendlier.
People seem to think a lot here, too, and to discuss ideas as much as light gossip. They make it a point to celebrate reading, music and art.
No surprise, then, that the town’s library is a gathering spot, and that on a December Saturday night, hundreds were milling about drinking wine and eating festive foods and checking out the Christmas trees. Not just any Christmas trees, but artistic examples that were part of a competition the library has sponsored for the 21st time.
Now, at home my tree is a work in progress, a cedar I cut in the woods and hauled south for eight hours, turning the limbs brittle in the process. It lists starboard in its bare plastic base, and the top has no lights. I keep meaning to do something about it.
I considered the irony as I helped judge the fantastic library trees.
I arrived early. The Bay St. Louis Library was a feast for these flinty eyes. I strolled amongst the trees, which ranged from modest tabletop varieties to an extravagant big one honoring Paris and the victims of terrorism. I was a good judge in one respect; I knew none of the decorators personally.
There were lots of award categories, thank goodness. Plenty of ribbons to go around.
Girl Scout Troop 3438 had a winner, a small tree embellished with handmade animals and photographs of scouts and their pets. Nothing says “Christmas” like a toilet-paper-roll puppy.
The most beautiful tree was decorated by the Gulf Coast Women’s Center for Non-Violence. It was shaped like a dress form, replete with a ribbon bustle and peacock feathers. The feminine tree stood in a back corner, as if waiting to be asked to dance.
A gumbo tree had all the right ingredients in clear glass balls. It blinked its way into my heart immediately. It is almost gumbo weather down here.
One elaborate creation replicated the cover of the beloved children’s classic “The Giving Tree,” using crepe paper for leaves and illustrating the library’s theme: A Season of Giving.
Some trees made a point. One used for decoration only prescription pill bottles that a chronically ill patient had saved for a year. And believe me, that was plenty of decoration – and preventive medicine. It’s always good to remember that – even in this pleasant place – not everyone’s life is merry and bright.
Top prize went to a local architectural firm, unabridged Architecture, which was made of stacked crab traps filled with books covered in plain brown wrappers. I guess it was saying that books are always a good catch.
A town’s traditions are revealing, same as a human’s. The things we do by rote, by habit, become part of the fabric of who we are. To incorporate an exquisite purpose into an annual chore makes the world a more beautiful and meaningful place.
Rheta Grimsley Johnson’s most recent book is “Hank Hung the Moon … And Warmed Our Cold, Cold Hearts.” Comments are welcomed at rhetagrimsley@aol.com.