Christmas Angel Topper

Where I use to live, the city would have a Christmas lighting ceremony. Cards were placed in stores weeks before Thanksgiving, to be placed in a caged that rolled around. The day before Thanksgiving a card would be selected, from that cage. That person got to name something they would like, made out of Christmas lights and wire, like a wreath or bell etc. That person also got to switch on the park lights, for the first time for that season.

I put so many cards into that cage for years and never won. I decided that year not to do so. My kids kept telling me I forgot, every time we passed the cage, at the stores. Finally I put one in.

The day before Thanksgiving I get a call, my name was pulled out of the cage. What new did I want to be put on the tree. I thought about it and said my Christmas Angel topper. A man came out, took some pictures of the Angel, and told me the Angel would be ready for the ceremony on Friday, after Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving came and went and before we knew it, it was Friday already. My sons and I had to be to the park early. The man that took the picture told me what tree to look at, when the lights came on. That was the one with my Angel in it.

Car loads of people came paying $5.00 per car load, which helped to pay for the power for the lights in the park.

The head man of the ceremony stood up, said a few words about Christmas and then announced my name, as the winner for this years lighting of the park. I stepped forward to flip on the switch. I felt proud to be doing so.

"OH YES" I flipped that switch on, and those lights came on so bright and clear, that tree with the Angel in it was pretty. Well at least for a few seconds. Then the lights made popping noises. The park was dark except for one tree. Kids crying and people screaming. I was disappointed, my first time to win and this happened.

I was told I could do the same thing on Saturday night. Everyone left the park. Saturday night came and it was just a repeat of Friday night with the lights on. Pop, pop, pop the lights went out. The park was dark but one tree. The guy told me to come back on Sunday night and I could try again. I said okay.

Sunday night came and well, you guessed it. Pop, pop, pop went the lights, screaming and crying and the park is dark, but one tree. The guy of the ceremony said he had to find out what was causing this to happen. So we would try again in a few days. People left again.

Tuesday night I turn on the switch, sure enough it was nice and bright for a few seconds and then the popping started again. Someone in the crowd of people accused me of doing something to have this happen. I yelled out "WHAT YOU MEAN, I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG". I was upset and so was the guy who puts this on every year.

So this guy of the ceremony says to the people from the stand, "We will show you, it's not her tomorrow night, we will have someone else do the switching on the lights". I said "Why can't my sons do it?". The guy said okay.

Wednesday night came. My sons stood up on the platform. Switched on the lights and they stayed on. None of them popped, all were nice and bright and pretty. People walked around to look at all the pretty lights, and the new one that was added. I felt sadden, why they would not stay on for me, but did for my sons. I never could figure that one out.

The oddest thing of this was. The tree with the Angel in it designed for me, never went out. Even though all the trees around her did. She stood proud in that tree, for her creator is how I felt about it. I still got her. She still stands proud on my dresser in my bedroom, just like she did in the tree so many years ago.