My apple tree.
Growing up, apples trees were pretty prominent in my life. We had apple orchards in the summer village, almost everyone did. Apple picking was one of the fun times in my memory and we enjoyed apples year round.
I have an apple tree in my yard in Michigan. A semi dwarf golden delicious I planted 20 years ago on my father’s advise.
For years I ignored it. It was there at the edge of the lawn doing its thing, being an apple tree. Some years the apples were stricken by disease, other years, they were surprisingly healthy.
A few years ago, the tree bore so much fruit that its branches broke under their weight! That’s when it finally had my attention. I called the tree doctor, who trimmed it and cleaned it and it looked pretty and proud again. I started visiting it frequently. One day as I walked nearer to it, I had the urge to hug it. It was a very comforting, welcoming feeling, almost like being hugged by my parents and all my ancestors. And as I looked up I saw their faces smiling at me through the branches of the tree.
Then I circled around it and hugged it again and again. I noticed that no matter from which direction I approached, north, east, south or west, the tree had two strong open branches for me to fit right in, like 2 outstretched arms waiting for a hug.
My tree remains unshaken by too much weight or weary visitors or a crazy woman hugging it and resting her head on its comforting branches. Deer love to eat its leaves, birds love to sit in the safety of its branches, and ducks and squirrels love to rest in its shade. I love to hug it, every day, and learn from it the lessons it teaches me – Be loving, kind and generous; you’re strong and grounded in mother earth; look up to the sky for energy and light; be a safe place for all visitors.
I hope it continues to give that kind of warm embrace and comfort to someone else long after I’m gone.