The Message of the Tree

The Message of the Tree

Mike and I have some tall …and I mean TALL…Silver Maple trees in our backyard. You don’t find them everywhere in Florida, but they are prevalent in Citrus County where we live. 

Our tree is scarred. 

We have a few clues to tell us what happened. 

Shortly after we moved here, we found a long piece of bark from that tree on the ground near it. A length of chain is firmly attached to that bark. 

A few feet away, in another tree, we located a heavy metal hook.We’re guessing there was a hammock strewn between those two trees at one time. Lightening was likely the force that brought the hammock down and damaged the beautiful gigantic Silver Maple.

The location near the lake was perfect for a hammock. The cool breeze off the water on a warm Florida day washing over you in a shaded hammock? Couple that with a tall glass of lemonade or sweet tea? It is the dream of Florida living come true.

But no more. The hammock no longer hangs there. However, though the tree is damaged, it is still alive. 

Recently, I shared this with a widow and widowers’ group: 

“The tree is damaged. It is still growing upward. It gives shade to our yard and is a home to birds and squirrels. I think when my husband died in 2014, I felt as scarred and dead as that tree. I was shocked. I felt marred for life.”. 

God and my family sustained me during that dark time. And in 2022, God brought Mike into my life. 

Mike and I have both weathered storms in the past. We’ve both lost people we loved. We’re not so naïve to think we will live out our senior years without a little wind and some rain. 

In the meantime, we have this beautiful lake, a swing instead of a hammock, lots of lemonade and sweet tea. 

And…we keep looking up. As we grow closer together, our roots grow deep. 

That’s the message of the tree.