Christmas Tree trauma

For years, yes that makes it a tradition, we've gone down to a local tree farm and cut our Christmas tree down. We search for the prefect tree critiquing them all along the way, this one is to small, this one is too wide, this one has hole in it, etc...then once the perfect tree is found, and with 6 of us this can take awhile, we cut it down, each taking a turn with the saw, ride the tractor back to the stand with our perfect tree and then swing on the giant telephone pole swing that is at the farm. It's been something the kids really love and gets us in a festive mood, it's an afternoon spent together.
This year Harvey was given a free tree for giving blood, what a good guy. The free tree was not from the tree farm it was at a lot. The kids were kind of upset by this fact but we kept reassuring them that if it was ugly or to small we wouldn't take it. We got to the lot and they ask us which size we'd like and then say we'll be right back. They come out with a tree all wrapped up with string and ask us which way our car is. Well we ask if we could see it first. They look at us like were from outer space after all it's a free tree. They cut it open and voila there it is, Harvey is happy, its free and tells them to load it up.
Grace burst into tears, "this isn't right we don't get to even pick it out, we don't get to cut it down, we don't get to ride the tractor, there's no swing" NOPE! This is it, 5 min tree shopping. Very anticlimactic!
On the way home were reassuring everyone that its a wonderful tree it smells nice, its a good size, there aren't any holes. Once home we get out the saw and everyone takes a cut, we trim 4" off the bottom so we have cut the tree, we learn to love the tree, we make peace with the tree, it does smell nice, it's free after all.
There are blessing here, it just depends on who you talk to as to what they are.

Everyone had a smile by the end of the evening.