The Giving Tree
I was remindes of this piece in a note that my friend sent to me. It's called
" THE GIVING TREE " It's about a tree that loved this small boy. They played hide'n'seak in his younger years. He would swing from her branches, climbed all over her, ate her apples, slept in her shade. Such happy, carefree days. The tree loved those years of the boy's childhood.
But the boy grew and spent less time with the tree. On one occasion the young man returned. " Come on, let's play," invited the tree. . . . but the lad was only interested in money. " Take my apples and sell them," said the tree. He did . . . and the tree was happy.
He didn't return for a long time, but the tree smiled when he passes by one day. " Come play , my friend. Come play!" But the boy - not full growen - wanted to build a house for himself. " Cut off my branches and build your house," she offered. He did, and once again the tree was happy.
Years dragged by. Suddendly, she saw him in the distance. "Come on, let's play!" But the man was older and tired of his world and wanted to get away from it all. " Cut me down. Take my large trunk and make yourself a boat. Then you can sail away," said the tree and that's exactely what he did. . . and the tree was happy.
Many seasons passed - summers and winters, windy days and lonely nights - and thr tree waited. Finally, the old man returned . . . too old, too tired to play, to persue riches, to build houses, or to sail the seas. "I have a pretty good stump left, my friend. Why don't you just sit down here and rest?" He did . . . and the tree was happy.
How many Giving Trees has their been in our lives? How many - have given something - so we could grow? Accomplish our goals? Find wholeness and satisfaction and so forth?
Or like that tree - is there something that we can - unselfishly give - to help someone else to begin to grow?
