This is a Daily Moment—short perspectives on life and times through a dad’s eye.
Last Saturday, I took my family to a Christmas tree farm. It was our first time cutting down our own tree, and we were excited to find the perfect one.
We walked straight for the biggest trees. We inspected the shape, the fullness of the branches, the symmetry. Some real beauties, but… “Oooh, but what about those over there?”
I guarded one, while my wife and kids went to check others. The kids ran back and told me the one I was next to was the one.
And then wife said that maybe I should go check out the others. I did, and they were nice too.
But after some rounds, the kids looked at the early choice and declared, “It’s perfect.”
So finally, we grabbed the saw, and took turns laying on the cold ground to cut it down.
Now, first of all, whatever tree we picked, we were going to cover it with lights and decorations, and then throw it away in a month. So the search for barely better didn’t really make much sense.
But the urge appears so often.
Why is it so hard to stop searching for “better” and simple be content with good enough?
We do this over and over throughout our lives, always thinking that better is just around the corner.
And then, why we were there in the first place? Yes, to buy a Christmas tree.
But really, it was to do something together as a family. To create memories together. And the kids made the ultimate decision—and they’ll remember that. They see that they play a role in this family, and that their voice matters.
And with that measure in mind, we ended up picking exactly the right tree.
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