THE TREE THAT SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN

     For a great number of years my little brother, Rickey, and I pruned limbs from ‘The tree’. Not only the brothers but other relatives and a host of neighbors and friends have had, over the past thirty-odd years, the distinct pleasure of gathering the aftermath from storms that tossed tree parts on Moms’ roof, in her yard and occasionally a visiting car got a ding or two.
     Rick and I apologized for, years, for ever having planted ‘The tree’ there in the first place. I would be remiss if I did not include the year when a sizable share of ‘The tree’ actually took out a part of the now-enclosed back porch.  But that was another time and another story for the insurance company, who asked Mom, “Why did you plant ‘The tree’ so close to the house in the first place?”

     “The tree”, as Mother always called it, was planted on a special occasion with much thought and love, but, obviously, with precious little research or precaution  The most scientific research was to confirm the generally held common knowledge that the sun sets in the west.  It was further deduced that by planting the tree on the southwest corner of the house, the tree would provide a precious portion of shade for the converted back porch-TV room.  Shade would measurably lower Moms’ utility bill. One of us all knowing siblings also suggested that since trees grow so slowly, planting the tree closer to the house would provide shade sooner. 

     While all that was true, it did not offset the fact that the tree is a miserable ‘weeper’. Weepers cover almost anything and everything within one hundred feet with its sorry sap. That one hundred feet would include the roof, house, windows, Mom’s car and visitors unaware.  Then when the storms came and the wind blew, not only did the cradle rock but in fact the boughs did break and covered Mothers’ roof with enough firewood to make it through the next winter.  The TV antenna is another issue not to be discussed at the present.

     For days after the outside storm had diminished, the storm still stirred inside the little house on top of the hill.  We would receive the dreaded dressing down for having planted ‘The tree’ too close to the house in the first place.  Well, maybe not the first place as the first place question had always been, “Why did you get that kind of tree, in first place?” Yes, that’s right, the ‘first thing’ was the kind of tree. Next, the nature of the tree with the sappy issues.  Then there is the fact that when the beautiful but stinky blossoms left their lofty perch, they inevitably landed on Mom's ever-freshly washed car. Mom's car was almost always parked somewhere on the driveway, under the tree and next to the carport. Yes, we got it from more than one direction as did ‘The tree’.

     Mom is gone now but ‘The tree’ still stands. ‘The tree’ is not so much a reminder of all the limbs we pulled out of the yard or off the house but the love two boys had for their mom. That, Mom, is why we planted ‘The tree’ there in the first place.

     Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!  For His mercy endures forever.   Psalm 136:1

Gardening ‘Life’ tip:  “Lift your eyes to the Lord of the heavens and ask Him to shower your love relationship with grace. He is the One who enables you to love. It is He who gives you more ability to love if you ask Him. May His love encompass you and your beloved today."  (Couples Connections, 1/12/2012 Amy Morris)

     He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, like showers that water the earth.  Psalm 72:6

     “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.    PSALM 136: 1