Christmas is normally a time of joy and giving, but for some people, it can be a tough season to get through especially if they have lost someone near and dear to them. This was the case for Doug and Judy Ugie, in May of this year they lost their adult son, Taylor, to an accidental drug overdose. Together they had been struggling through the year just trying to do things to distract themselves especially as it got into the holidays. But a short time ago they found something to give them a little glimpse of hope and possibly some comfort.
Just outside of Dresden, as State Route 60 winds around before Wakatomika and Cooperdale there is a tree on the edge of the hill just off the road, that Judy and Doug thought would be the perfect shape for a Christmas tree. Normally they would have just passed by the tree and not have given it a second thought, but one day Judy saw an ornament hanging from the tree, it was a small silver ornament hanging by itself. Sometime later she noticed a little red train had joined it on a nearby branch, and this sparked the idea.
From there, Judy and Doug set out to add ornaments to the tree for the many friends that they knew who had also lost a child or a loved one. They picked out themed ornaments to symbolize the passions and hobbies of the ones who had passed. For their son, they chose an artist’s palette because he was passionate about art. For a dear friend, they chose a United States Marine ornament because they had lost a son who served as a Marine. They chose a monster truck ornament for a local family that lost a young son who really loved monster trucks. As they added the ornaments to the tree, they posted to Facebook to open it up to other people so they knew what the tree was about and so they could add ornaments themselves.
“Its not just for the people we have lost, but for the ones that are still here and supporting us as well” stated Judy.
Over the next few days, the tree just kept getting more and more populated with ornaments. Shortly after someone added tinsel and even a strand of solar lights so it could be seen at night. The Ugies never thought it would take off like it has, but it is just amazing to see the outpouring of support and participation that is happening around something as simple as an 8-foot pine on the edge of the road that has transformed into something so much more. When you drive by the tree on your way out of town be sure to remember that loss can also bring people together in a big way!
