When we moved to 822 there was a most interesting tree in the back yard
which was tagged to be cut down because at the time it seemed..well...
doomed.
Please put on your sentimental glasses and as you look at these photos and my words
think about something much more than a tree
will you?
I had a sweet letter from Mike, the woman who lived here before us
she told me that she and her husband planted the 3 trees
(we are so much alike that I now realize they signified her 3 children)
the yard was like a forest..so overgrown and wild you could barely even see the circle of trees
and this is also where the wild beehive was...just underneath the tree on her old picnic table
we moved here in the middle of winter...so the tree(s) seemed quite
dead
without a possibility to save
forlorn
full of very strange wind-y crooked holes
but in the spring something very strange happened
life
and stranger still
this is one of the stumps that was left...the other tree of the 3 was long gone
since we had so much to do to the backyard, I asked the tree trim man to please cut the stump
straight and flat so I could put a bird feeder on it for the time being
and this live branch appeared
a dead tree that contains life still?
have you ever thought something was dead
but you were mistaken?
we were certain the drought would finish it off
we really had no way to water it
yet
it hung on
and even without the element it so needed
it
hung
on
to me
even in its last stages
it has a certain artistic lovely beauty
that will not allow me to cut it down
it certainly has issues...
yet...life continues to spill from the empty hollow branches
I can't figure out how, but it does
it has provided
shade
and shelter
and several birds have nested in it
so it has been a part of life greater than itself
it has grown tall
and thrived
and continues to do so especially now that we have had some
much needed rain and a way to water it
so yes
the tree will remain
and I am so excited to see what it will look like through the years
and when the time comes for it to really be gone?
It will leave behind a memory almost as strong as
when it was alive
a beautiful interesting quirky thing
that is certainly worth the story that it told
by Shel Silverstein
12 comments:
Happy to hear the tree will live!!! There is nothing like a shady tree to sit under and admire. I just hope it continues to rain for you. It is really sad when trees die due to drought...
Que linda essa árvore. ela está cheia de brotações. A natureza sempre volta a embelezar nossa vida. Aqui em minha casa também temos muitas árvores, e estamos pensando em tirar algumas, a casa não pega sol no inverno e fica tudo úmido e frio. Mas no verão elas nos dão sombra e frescor. É um dilema.
Que árvore estranha, ela cria uns buracos, dá para plantar flores nestes buracos.
Bjos e tenha uma ótima semana.
Hi, Gina!
We just returned home from Scandinavia. First thing I did was picked up the doggies, and then checked on the garden. Right before the trip, I had to cut one of the mature shrubs all the way back as it did not make it through the winter. That's what I thought. Last night I noticed fresh shoots coming out of the soil. I had given up hope. And this just shows that one should never give up hope! I think your tree story is very inspiring. Thanks for sharing it, Gina. Hope you are well.
Take care,
Loi
Still traveling but wanted to pop in and say Hi! What a great story. Sometime I will tell you about the trees we planted for the granddaughters. xo Diana
That tree has such character! What a great sentiment, too, to be planted for her children. I hope a great tree will rise from the stump of the old tree. Very interesting, and so sweet that you love the trees.
That tree just doesn't want to give up. It's amazing how Mother Nature keeps things going. We recently dug out an old shrub that was in the way of our new compost system. Cut it back to the ground, dug it out without caring about the root system. Hubby said that we should see if it would grow in a new spot. Despite it's lack of leaves and roots, it's thriving and is now full and about 1 foot tall.
There's life in the strangest of places.
I was reading your post and The Giving Tree , my favorite book, came to mind...just to get to the end and find out that it inspired you too! Beautiful story, beautiful tree, glad to know that it keeps going. Thank you for the idea of the glass jar, I was thinking how to display my tags and that really helped!...I'm gonna have to translate that book to my Spanish readers, isn't it just wonderful????
It's certainly the tree that keeps on giving. Love the story behind it and all its quirkiness!!
Mary Alice
Gina this is so fascinating and truly the tree is a work of art! It's spirit refuses to give up!
Xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena
it is a beauty and I love the way you see its beauty, most would have chopped it down, that would have been such a shame, it still has so much to give,
oh my gosh. that is very cool!! the giving tree.
Happy Birthday Gina G. I hope your day was filled with love, laughter and the sound of champagne corks flying!
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