t was a month before Christmas at Bridgepoint Farms and just about everyone was getting into the holiday spirit.

I

Cars of families were driving in with their hot chocolate and out with a Christmas tree strapped to the roof of their cars.

Unlike the trees that grew up at Bridgepoint Farms years prior, not every tree always grew to the same height.

In fact, for the first time in decades, one of the trees, looked very unlike the others. 

His name was Billy Balsam Fir, but most of the trees in the lot just called him Little Billy.

Little Billy had been growing slowly for many years now and had seen many of his childhood friends get picked to be Christmas trees. 

It was tough for Little Billy; all he ever wanted was to be picked. But year after year, Little Billy was left behind to grow with the younger trees.

2016

2015

2014

2013

Little Billy stood half as tall as most of the trees, and never really filled out his branches. So for most families, Little Billy wasn’t what they were looking for. 

Little Billy was the oldest tree in the lot, but the other trees did not care. Instead, the other trees were very unkind towards Little Billy, often making him cry.

Little Billy would often hear awful things from the other trees like,

“Your branches would break if a family ever tried to decorate you”

“Nobody wants a tree that can’t stand up straight”

“Children can’t even hide behind you you're so thin"

He tried not to listen to them, but for years, and generations of trees, it was all Little Billy would hear. 

Little Billy was slowly coming to the realization that maybe he wasn’t special, and maybe he was never meant to be a Christmas tree. 

It was only two weeks til Christmas now and Little Billy grew more upset. The trees around him were slowly being picked and yet no family even noticed him standing in his place.

Even with most of the trees around him picked, Little Billy still couldn’t get away from the name-calling. All Little Billy wanted for Christmas was to fly far, far away.

But just as he had that thought, Little Billy felt something touch one of his branches. When he turned to look, he saw a little girl standing there with the brightest smile.

She hadn’t brushed up against Little Billy by accident. She was looking right at him! Then she yelled into the distance, “I found it!"

Little Billy stood there confused. He didn’t know what to do!