A Thousand Years a Tree

Here is an illustration I did of an ancient tree. 

For a thousand years, the tree was a tree. Before that, the tree was a sapling and before that the tree was just a little seed under the soil waiting for the rain and sunshine.

The tree befriended birds. The tree cradled their babies in his heavy branches.

The tree shaded the ferns. The frilly plants could grow and thrive because the tree filtered through just the right amount of sun.

Once a lumber jack walked past a tree. He pulled out his ax. But then he felt something stir in his heart. The old tree reminded him of the tree he had carved his initials on with his first love when he was only a teenager. His first love had moved away, become someone else, he didn't know who. But for that summer they had been together, he had loved her more than anyone else. So, because of that long lost love, the tree kept growing.

Another time, a lightening streak shot from the sky. There was only one tree taller and the moss covered giant cracked and fell under the strength of the lightening. The tree felt sad to see his friend fall, but he still stood strong.

Someday, something would happen. But for now, the tree kept growing and growing. Inside his great girth were a thousand rings, one for each year. Someday, the great tree may have a thousand more.