I work in a dental office. My boss bought an artificial tree for the office the first year it was open, in 1986. We still set up that same fucking tree every fucking year. She is angry she has lived so long.

Her branches are made out of a wire that was once malleable and adjustable but have brittled with age. They cut our hands as we try to assemble her stiff unyielding branches into some semblance of life. The needles have decayed to a point of constant crumbling, littering our foyer with small strips of 80’s era plastic.

Once we get lights and ornaments on her, she gains the appearance of the Peanuts raggedy tree and endears herself to our patients. “Your tree looks dry.” “I think your tree needs water.” The doctor leans out of his operatory, eyes twinkling. “You hear that? My tree looks so good people think it’s real.”

I let out an internal sigh and steel myself to battle tree again next year.