The Little Birch That Could

I have been a professional caregiver for over twenty years, and  I have a current client by the name of Daisy. This beautiful woman is 94 years young. One of the biggest passions of her life, besides her children, is her gardens. In her yard, she wanted a shade tree to help block out some of the intense sun that shines down on her house. She had always wanted a birch tree and planted it three years ago. This tree became almost a child to her. She nurtured it, watered it, but most of all loved it. She would sit for many hours under the shade of her little birch tree and watch the birds as they perched in its branches.

Last May, she had a stroke. She survived the stroke with a few impairments and spent a couple of months in rehab getting her strength back. The whole time she was there, she worried about her birch tree. She would ask me if I had watered it, and she would talk for hours about going home to her birch tree. She always looked so sad as she talked about wanting to go home to see how her gardens were, but mostly her birch.

When she finally came home, one of the first things Daisy did was walk to the backyard to see her gardens and her precious birch tree. She sat outside, underneath the shade of her tree and finally, a smile came on her face and she said, "My precious little birch tree, how much I missed you!"

I honestly believe there is a purpose to our life. Each one of us is given gifts to use and share with others. Daisy's gift is her flowers and her trees as she sits and shares her 94 years of life with me. This little birch tree gave Daisy the hope she needed that she would once again sit under its branches and share her life with me and others.