A Tree for Comfort

My daughter Vivian is 7 years old and in second grade. She takes the bus to school every day. Sometimes school is hard for second-graders, and she often comes home from school feeling upset about something specific that happened at school or more generally because she's tired and ready for a snack. 

 

Right in front of our house, in the parkway, there is a lovely Crimson King Norway maple tree. When Vivian comes home from school feeling grumpy, she asks for a moment in private. She hugs "Comfort" (the name she's given to this tree) with her eyes closed, takes a few deep breaths, and then comes inside feeling refreshed. 

 

In the summer, we often read books and eat Popsicles while we lean against the trunk of Comfort. We have read Charlotte's Web, several Betsy Tacy books and some of the Chronicles of Narnia. I wouldn't say it's the most comfortable place to read a book, but to Vivian, there is no place better!