It might seem strange to some folks
to have respect for a tree.
It's not that it was planned.
It just happened over the years.
This is the tree under which my children played.
They gathered worms & bouquets of violets.
They entertained friends and
learned to climb.
She watched as my son fell from her branches.
At 4 years old, I heard the cry/holler then nothing.
Talk about a heart attack.
My motto was always, "If they're crying, at least you know they're breathing."
I raced over to find him, breath knocked out, but fine.
Children don't climb trees any more.
Go ahead and ask how many have next time you see a group of youngins.
Yes, learned to climb.
There used to be a second trunk/limb.
You can see at the base where it was.
Last winter, the wind broke her.
We considered cutting the whole thing down,
but I couldn't bring myself to part with her completely.
We cut the broken side off and waited to see what happened
not knowing if it was just a matter of time, and
we would have been wiser to take care of it all at once.
She limped along through last summer.
She bore no fruit.
She survived through our odd winter.
And this spring she showed us her beauty once more.
She has more to give.
It just took us believing in her.
This seems like such a good parallel for our lives.
Sometimes, we are broken by "things" life deals us.
We still have life in us...still have value.
There is someone I know who will be 94 this Saturday.
He and his wife have possibly been the most valuable friends
I have ever been blessed with.
Many of their friends have already passed.
They are likely looked over by many among the current generations.
They still have something to give.
I seek and value their knowledge and insight with every life decision I make.
I might have a different perspective,
but I consider and respect their input.
Like Grandmother Apple,
they have something left to give.
I can hardly wait to see what autumn brings.
Until next time,
Nimble Fingers and Even Stitches
You might want to put a prop under the tree, so it won't come completely down and finish ripping the roots out.
ReplyDeleteA good reminder. We do at times. I don't like them there if we don't have to have them as they are hard to mow around. When the fruit is on and when it snows are the biggies so we tend to put them up in fall and remove them in spring. Also, if we pruned like we should....
DeleteTree climbing was my favorite past time as a child. 1/4 of a great avocado tree broke and landed on top of me in one of my expeditions, but it didn't stop my enthusiasm. It just made climbing more exciting. I am glad you kept that tree... And if she doesn't produce fruit, she still gives memories ;)
ReplyDeleteI was shocked when I asked some middle-schoolers & only about 1/3 of them had ever climbed a tree. Guess we were little monkeys:)
DeleteI love this post. So nicely written.
ReplyDeleteOlder people have many pearls of wisdom.
Your old tree is full of beauty and amazing blossoms. I'm glad you didn't take it down.
Rose
Thank you. I'm glad we kept it too. And yes, I am drawn to the calm wisdom of my elders - I'm a bit of an old soul anyways so it works out well.
DeleteI'm glad your tree came back! I hate leaving my old weeping willow when I got married and moved away. We used to climb it and all sit up there like a clubhouse.
ReplyDelete