Sunday, August 5, 2007

The Storybook Tree

Find a tree…any mature tree …. and I bet it could tell you a story or two. Most trees are filled with stories if only they could speak to us. Maybe they do….we just have to listen closely.

This beautiful Texas Ebony tree that was planted 30 years ago to shade our driveway from the blistering afternoon sun has witnessed so many events. Please allow it to share a few with you. Thank you.

Year after year, I watched young Tracy hop into the car with her piano books in hand and set out for the weekly piano lesson.
Recently I proudly watched as Tracy once again entered the car to head back home to Colorado and then on to Africa to be a music worship leader for missionary women.


I remember standing silently in the dark evening as Dana appeared at the front door, heading out in her "I Dream of Jeannie" costume for a night of trick-or-treating.
And years later, I celebrated as Dana carefully tucked her wedding dress into the car and ventured out to experience her dream-come-true.


I gladly provided shade and orange-scented blossoms as Emily hosted a tea party under my branches for her teddy bears and baby dolls.
And years later I breathed a gentle, Ohhh…, as I watched Emily step from her car with newborn baby Nathan.

I clapped my branches after little Matthew made his first basket through the hoop that Dad had just installed at the driveway's edge.
And years later I shaded Matthew’s truck as he and Mom packed it for his long trip to Denver, saying goodbye to the home he had known since birth. I can honestly say I shed a few sappy tears along with Mom.


I sadly remember the night Dad and Mom put Sherman into the car and drove off to the Emergency Animal Hospital.
And I remember them returning….alone.


Yes, the Texas Ebony is our family’s storybook tree. There are so many more stories it could share if we had time to listen.

If you're still reading...then you have arrived at the real reason I’m writing this post. Finally! Plan now to write the story about YOUR life. I recorded my childhood memories, because my children have experienced a totally different lifestyle growing up in a large desert city than I did as a child in a small town in Wisconsin. I wanted them to "know" their mom and her experiences as a small girl. The book offers no exciting plot...just lots of recorded memories in a very thin bound book to be past down to future generations. I don't want the history of our family to be lost.

Don’t lose yours either.


Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice!... Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise before the Lord! For the Lord is coming! ... ~Psalm 96:11,12

5 comments:

Sharon Goemaere said...

How neat!Loved this post!Have a blessed day!!
Love~Sharon

DK said...

Hi Suzanne, What a great post! I really think you're on to something here. I don't have kids to pass a book like this on to, so I find myself weaving bits of my life (okay, LOTS of my life) into my fiction LOL Hope you're having a grand weekend :)
DK

Suzanne said...

Thanks for visiting DK. And thanks for the compliment.

Wonderful idea to write fiction with yourself woven into it. After all they always say, "Write about what you know." :)

Let me know if you have a blog I may read.

Blessings.

Joe said...

What a beautiful story - and thanks for the wonderful idea.

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