The Spirit of a Tree

By Janice K. Jarosz

WIN Waste Innovations employees submitted a Christmas Tree to the MEG for the 15th Annual Festival of Trees and it came with a remarkable history. It was named the Spirit Tree and several employees shared with us the history.

According to Native American tribes, especially from the south, it is believed that the tree represents a sacred bridge between the earthly and spiritual worlds symbolizing strength, wisdom and interconnectedness. The spirit tree serves as a reminder of the deep bond between humans, animals and the natural world, emphasizing the importance of maintaining equilibrium and harmony within one’s self.

When the spirit tree is decorated with empty bottles, the wind blowing through them creates beautiful sounds of peace. Realizing the obstacles in decorating a tree with filled bottles, longtime employee Teddy knew just what to do. He engaged the services of another longtime employee named Lazio, who came from Tennessee and who knew firsthand all about spirit trees.

Once they got the okay from the plant manager, every free moment was spent welding together and decorating the tree. It was during those brief happy moments that the tree somehow seemed to lift the spirits of many among them, especially Lazio, who had recently lost his son in a tragic accident. Several employees carried the finished tree to the MEG, and as they were setting it up, many were actually smiling at their “work of art,” especially Lazio. It was the first time they had seen him smile in a long time.

Once the festival was over, several board members sat down to draw the names of the winners, and eventually it was time to draw the raffle ticket for #5, the Spirit Tree. The name on the winning ticket was Lazio – the Spirit Tree spoke.

The Spirit Tree connected with us the true meaning of Christmas, Amen.