Unless you have lived in Lee’s Summit, MO your entire life, you can’t imagine the splendor of the Magic Tree.
- Every year, the Magic tree is lit up at Christmas time.
It sits in the intersection of two busy highways, and it has been a community staple for decades. It has been a place for people to visit and a spot to drop off toy donations for the Operation Toy Soldier nonprofit. In recent years, it has become the perfect backdrop for Christmas selfies by both natives of Lee’s Summit and tourists. Not being a native resident of Lee’s Summit, I knew very little about the Magic Tree. My best friend talked about the Magic tree from Thanksgiving until Christmas holiday. She couldn’t wait to go back to Lee’s Summit for the holidays this year, and she asked me to go with her. Normally, I would be going south with my parents, and enjoying warmer weather, the pool, and air conditioning. They had decided to go visit Aunt Linda in London, and I didn’t want to go along. I agreed to go with her, as long as her parents thought it was okay. When we got there, I was glad I had brought my heavy winter coat and gloves. It was warm on the airplane, but it was frigid as we walked across the tarmac. As soon as the heating in the airport hit, I was beginning to thaw. The HVAC system in the taxi was even better, but it wasn’t until we got to my friend’s house that I felt comfortable. The temperature was thirty-two, and without the furnace, I would have frozen. Even with the cold, it was still the best Christmas I had in years.