Homemade tree brings Nunavut mother and sons together after heartbreak

A homemade Christmas tree is bringing joy again this year to a mother and her two young sons in Resolute Bay.

Working from a YouTube video, Lisa Komangapik crafted her own kind of evergreen last year using the cardboard box from her new TV stand.

It was the first Christmas tree she had put up since losing her daughter in an ATVaccident seven years ago. Because her youngest was an infant at the time, it'salso the first tree he's had at home.

This year, the crafty tree isbrightening up time spent at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Made of eight rings wrapped in green painters tape that hang together using invisible fishing line, the 3D-treelooks likeit's floating from the ceiling. Decked in shiny bulbs and coloured lights, it's a holiday masterpiece.

Komangapiksaid she made this tree to help herself look to the future, and as a present for her youngest son, to share the experience of Christmas.

"I was deep in grief and time was passing by. I finally gave him something to look forward to last Christmas,"she said."It was bittersweet. It was something for him to remember. And at the same time, I was thinking about my other children."

Onetough young critic

But she faced one challenge while making the tree until it was all decorated, seven-year-old Akoela thought he liked his auntie's homemade tree better than his mom's.

"I decorated with the lights and the ornaments and then he came and I asked him if he still liked his (auntie's) tree better and he sheepishly said, 'nooo'," Komangapik said.

"I was so pleased with myself that I got him something that he really likes. And he got in under the tree and I took a picture. He was so happy with it. That made my day."

There are no real Christmas trees for sale at the Arctic Co-op in Resolute Bay this year. Andit costs between $200 and $400to buy an artificial one locally.

Komangapik says her homemade tree folds up flat for storing and is just as good as it was last year. She's looking forward to buildingmore family memories around it.

"It makes my boys happier and they look forward to Christmas and they love having their candy canes on the tree, they get to have one everyday," she said.