The Maple Tree On Maple Street

Many years ago, one of our first houses we
bought was on Maple Street. TJ and Heidi were
3 and 1 at the time. We decided to plant a
Maple tree in honor of Maple Street and one
of our very first homes.  Each year DH and
I nurtured and watched that tree as it begin
to grow. We knew it would provide lots of

shade for the house in the Summer, thus
keeping it cooler, and shade for the kids to
play under. That tree spoke to us so many
times over the years, and when it came time
to move on to Arizona and say good-bye to our
house I often wondered if it was still there.
For the longest time, when we
went home to visit, I couldn’t bring myself
to go back and look. Grandma
had always said you can’t look back, just
keep going forward in life.

Well, one visit, I did drive back by and to
my surprise, the Maple tree was still there.
25 years later, and the leaves were magnificent,
and the size was unbelievable.  I can still see
the kids the morning we planted that tree,
they danced around it in excitement and couldn’t
wait to see what it would be. They wanted a swing
to hang from that tree. They told stories of how high
they would swing, to touch the sky.

I can still see TJ one Fall out there raking the
leaves, he had a Blue Cookie Monster coat
on, and was raking the leaves and running
and jumping and rolling in them. I ran to
get the camera. It was a Kodak moment.
Such happy times, such splendid times, and
such simple times those were.

Isn’t it something how trees can speak to us?
The wind blows secrets through them to us.
The limbs stretch out to us and tell us so many
stories about their lives, thus speaking to us.
The leaves fall to the ground and crinkle, we walk
across them, and they speak to us. Sometimes a
lone branch will scratch a window pane, as if to
remind us they are still out there guarding the yard,
thus speaking to us. Rain or shine, sleet or snow
they stand tall and are still speaking to us.

Yes, this old Maple tree holds many secrets
that were whispered, much love that was shared,
and new births that were shown, and she is
still speaking to someone. Oh and by the way,
she had a swing hanging in her for some little
child to swing high and touch the sky.

As always, thank you for stopping by,
my little piece of heaven,
here in the desert,
that I so love to call home.
Country hugs and much love,