I have a small quandary, about the size of a bread box. After taking a year off from decorating for Christmas, I have decided to get back in the game. As I took the trash out this morning, however, I realized my front fence, which is usually lit with long strings of lights, is now almost invisible under a heavy cover of grape vines, bindweed, hackberries and polk weed. There is literally no way to light it this year. In addition, my trees have grown to such size that the house is largely obscured from the street, so any lights I string from the roof will be invisible to the street.

It might be time to improvise. If I put up the house lights and then use the long strings of lights that usually go on the fence on the trees or down the driveway, I may actually be able to create some sort of wonderland in and around the house. I’m sure the young grandkids in particular may well find that to be charming. Heck, I may find it charming as well. And maybe my friends will find it charming. It feels as though a lighting adventure awaits.

I think this is one of those things that probably falls into the blessing-in-disguise category. Rather than decorating by rote, the same way I decorated when my wife was alive, now I will have to create something new, because nature didn’t wait. Trees grew up, new bushes filled in, and the landscape changed. How about that. Life went on. I went on too, and now here I am in 2021, wanting to decorate for Christmas and nature has forced my hand. Good for nature. Wish me luck. When I get done, I’ll send pictures, or you can come by.

John W. Wilson is the author of The Long Goodbye: A Caregiver’s Tale