To the editor:
Truth be told, my initial reaction last year when my wife said she was going to put a holiday tree up at Barrington Beach was, "some kid will light that on fire." She did it …
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To the editor:
Truth be told, my initial reaction last year when my wife said she was going to put a holiday tree up at Barrington Beach was, "some kid will light that on fire." She did it anyway, as a member of the Barrington Lions Club.
Shells with string attached were left at the base of the tree, along with magic markers. Through the holiday season, people wrote all sorts of messages on the shells and hung them on the tree. We'd see posts about the tree on social media, and it seemed to make people feel good. It was a simple act to represent community, kindness, and giving. My wife collected the shells when the tree came down and the messages would indicate the community appreciated it. It was a beautiful thing, and I was happy to be wrong.
Year two of #barringtonbeachtree kicked off last weekend. As we finished packing the sand around the base of the tree, we urged a couple who was walking by with their dog to be the first to add a shell with a message. We chatted for a bit. They are new to town, we made some connections, they took a picture. It was nice. It was community. More shells with messages went up over the following days.
Unfortunately, my cynical prediction from last year became reality. My wife received a picture via text of what was left of the tree after it had been set on fire. While I can't claim to be surprised, I am disappointed.
I don't know who lit the Barrington Beach Tree on fire, or what their motivation was. I'm going with my gut and believing it was a silly act by kids who weren't thinking about what this symbol was meant to represent. Been there, done that. I hope at some point in the future, the person who did it reflects on their actions and does something kind for another to counteract this thoughtless act. And that brings me to my ask of anyone reading this. The tree was meant to represent community, kindness, and giving during the holiday season. Please consider performing a simple act of kindness for someone, in the name of #barringtonbeachtree.
Happy Holidays,
Bill Horn
Barrington