The Tree Doesn’t Shine as Bright This Year

This year the Christmas Tree doesn’t shine as bright . There is a bulb that has burnt out. It lived its life in this strand of lights and did all that it could to keep the tree shining bright. It burned oh so bright, some may say it was the brightest light of all the lights.
But it did its job and it grew tired. It tried to hang on, knowing that it was what kept that tree shining so bright. The Tree Keeper saw the light flickering and knew that it was weary. Then he looked at the other light’s and saw them burning dimly never burning as bright as they may, because they all depended on the brightest light. He gently pulled that light from its strand and put it in a safe place, where it would never flicker again and would shine brighter than ever.
The other lights began to flicker, when they saw the Tree Keeper take that light. They knew that their tree would not be as bright this year. They wondered if they would ever shine as bright again. The Tree Keeper watched that tree carefully knowing that it was struggling to shine at all. He watched that tree for several days. Then one day when all the lights seemed to be fading away at the loss of their brightest light, He spoke to that tree, He said:
I did not take her to make you flicker and fade.
I took her that the rest of you might push through your pain,
Become stronger, learn to work together,
and that each of you might learn to shine brighter than ever.
If you each persevere and shine your brightest,
Your tree will one day be the brightest tree of all again.
I am sorry for your loss. I feel your pain.
I love you.
I did not take that light to hurt you.