A New Westminster couple is hoping to spark joy for community members – one ornament at a time.
The couple is placing a Christmas decoration on a tree in Queen’s Park on each of their daily walks in the neighbourhood. Chris (not her real name) was inspired after reading an item in the New York Times last year.
“There was a reader’s comment that they had decorated a tree in a park, adding one ornament at a time. Other people started adding other decorations too,” says the woman. “I just thought that was really a nice idea. My husband and I, we go for a walk every day through Queen’s Park.”
In the lead-up to the holiday season, Chris started scouting locations for the perfect tree to put her plan into place. She found a tree on the Millennium Trail in Queen’s Park, not far from Centennial Lodge (just below its parking lot), that has branches that are ideal for hanging ornaments and is in a visible location for folks walking along the trail.
“You know what it’s like right now with the pandemic and everything. I just thought, this is the perfect time to do it,” she said. “It’s also brought us a lot of joy, and I hoped it would bring joy to other people seeing something like that because you don’t expect to see a tree decorated when you are walking.”
Chris’s goal was to bring some “joy, positivity and lightness into the world” through a simple act of placing decorations in the tree, but the endeavour has boosted her spirits as well. As hoped, a couple of other people have joined in on the fun and placed ornaments in the tree.
“After about a week, we noticed somebody had added one. I was so excited. I was jumping up and down. It just made my day to know that somebody added one,” Chris says. “It’s really fun. I always look forward to our walk, but I really look forward to it to see if anybody else has been adding anything.”
The couple originally hung brightly-coloured decorations, but they’ve since taken on a silver hue because of the weather. Still, they continue to hang in the tree, despite strong winds, rain and snow.
The couple’s plan is to take the decorations down on Jan. 2, before the city steps in and removes the items from the tree.
“This is part of a new tradition we have started this year, and we are going to do it again,” Chris says. “It’s so much fun. Hopefully, people next year will notice again, and maybe there will be an even bigger response next year. I am just thrilled that even one person added something. I know there’s probably a lot of other people who have noticed it and smiled. If there are little kids walking by, they really notice things. I just hope it’s brought joy to somebody else.”
And who is the local couple behind this simple gesture aimed to spread joy this holiday season? They’d prefer to stay anonymous as they don’t really enjoy the limelight.
“Part of the idea was being anonymous doing it,” Chris says. “I’d like people to wonder: Who is doing that? I notice when we are approaching the tree to do it, my husband keeps looking behind to make sure nobody is going to see him do it. I would like it to be like a mystery.”
In an interview with The Record, Chris says the objective is to bring a little joy into the lives of others.
“Get out for a walk, enjoy the fresh air and just enjoy the simple pleasure of a decorated tree where you wouldn’t expect it for Christmas,” she says.
Follow Theresa McManus on Twitter @TheresaMcManus
Email tmcmanus@newwestrecord.ca
