I still remember the day so clearly, I had been so excited to try my new velvet red tree bag. It was an exciting splurge purchase, if I’m being honest. I thought about how advantages I would have with this bag, like being able to bring my tree along with me wherever I went, and being the envy of everyone I passed with its stunning red velvet material. Little did I realise though, that it wasn’t a ‘real’ tree bag but a ‘fake’ one.
At first, I was so disappointed, I had felt let down by the store and myself for failing to analyse the ‘genuineness’ of the bag. I couldn’t understand how I had ended up with this fake bag. To make things worse, I had paid quite a lot for it too. I felt like my money was being wasted and that I’d been tricked into buying a ‘fake’ tree bag.
Still, I was determined to make the most out of it. As much as I’d been had, I was determined to look for the positives in the situation. I remembered that I still had a tree bag after all and that I could still get some use from it, even if it wasn’t of the best quality. I began to view it less as a ‘fake’ bag and more of a functional one, that I could put my tree in and take it for a walk.
The plan worked and soon I was out with my tree bag doing things I wouldn’t normally think of doing. I was chatting to strangers, admiring the beauty of nature and listening to the whispers of the leaves. It was then that I realised it wasn’t really about getting a ‘real’ tree bag after all. It was about showing some appreciation and love towards the things around us, spending time with the little things in life.
My tree bag had served as a pathway, a way to make new memories and an excuse to slow down and enjoy the moment. Life was sweeter with my tree bag and surprisingly, the velvet red colour made it feel all the more special. When I took it out, I felt proud of it in its own special, unique way.
It might not be the most ‘real’ tree bag, but I loved it just the same. It reminded me to be thankful for the things I have, to make time for the little things and to slow down and be present in my own life.
So if you’re ever in the market for a tree bag, whether ‘real’ or ‘fake’, remember that it is possible to make something good from something that wasn’t so good in the first place. You never know what kind of journey it will take you on.
I recently took my velvet red tree bag on an adventure to the woods, and it made me realise just how worth it the purchase had been. I was able to enjoy all of the little things in life, have fun and even make a few memories along the way.
When I returned, I brought with me something more precious than anything money could buy, a revived and refreshed sense of appreciation for the little things and a pocket full of memories.
My velvet red tree bag also brought me into contact with some amazing people. People who valued the outdoors, shared nature’s beauty and were excited to take a moment to just be. They showed me that it didn’t matter if my tree bag was real or not, but just that I had made a mindful decision to take a step back and appreciate the world around me.
And so in the end, that’s really what I got out of my fake tree bag: a beautiful yellow in the grey of my life, a hug from nature that reminded me to be slow, and a reminder to appreciate the small things for the very big things they can bring.