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A Rooted Tree

Gail
S
October 8, 2018

Trees root us to mother earth. The tall sturdy trunk serves as a backbone to fulfill balance and strength. I planted a Red Bud tree in my yard. The tree was young, but beautiful and began to thrive. Then, during a storm, lightning struck my tree and it went into shock. The leaves fell off and it looked dead. 

A friend suggested I lovingly strike it at the trunk base with a baseball bat. “Why not?” I thought. I had nothing to lose. So I did. I dragged my son’s baseball bat into the yard, and said things like, “This is for your own good, I’m sorry.” And “I send only love.” My kids thought I was nuts.

Unbelievably, It worked. The tree thrived for years. It was altered in some way, as shock does that, but it lived. Now, 20 years later, my tree is struggling, and I think this might be the end. But the loving bond between my redbud and me will be there, even when we are gone.

 

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