A Tree of Wise Words
Here is the last picture that I made to be potentially used in conjunction with a friends poetry. I am posting the picture here and making up unrelated stories to go along with the art.
The tree had been alive for hundreds of years, and over time, different people had gone to the tree seeking solace. It was the only tree is an almost treeless expanse of land, and the few people that lived in the area or passed through the area wanted a tree to sit under to escape the heat or to escape notice or to escape the falling rain.
The first person who had gone to the tree for comfort was Alice Anne who lived in the small town where the tree to resided. She had lived in the town her whole life but wished to no longer live there. She had married young and now was miserable with her feckless husband who stayed out late drinking and came home with lipstick on his collar. But it was still the olden days when Alice Anne had been alive, and leaving wasn't easy. She sat under the tree and cried. Through her tears, she thought she could hear a voice. It was the voice of the tree. "Just leave Alice Anne," the tree said. "You have no reason to stay except the burden of social norms. You have no children and family to tend to, just a husband who you no longer love. But Alice Anne, what you do have is a heart full of dreams. Don't let those dreams fade away. Leave this place and go start another life somewhere else." Alice Anne stopped sobbing and hugged the tree. 'Your right tree!' And the next day, when her husband had left the house, she left two with a suitcase and a stack of bills. Alice Anne went somewhere else and found happiness by following her own dreams.
The next lonely person who sought solace from the tree was Marco the local horseman. He was a strong man and normally a stoic man, but one of his horses was ill and his heart was heavy with sorrow. He knew the horse would die soon. He couldn't stand to see it suffer, but knew he should be there to comfort his friend as the days dwindled. He told the tree of his love for his horses, his shame at his emotion and his fear of seeing his horse leave this world. "Oh Marco," the tree said, "crying does not make you weak. Your sorrow does not make your weak. Your love for your horses has made you strong. The only thing you will regret is if you are not there for your horse. Don't let your fear of emotion keep you away from your beloved horse. Don't let your fear of death lead you to abandon a great friend." The speech was just the boost of bravery and wisdom that Marco needed. He left the tree and went back to his horse ranch where he cradled his dying horses head in his arms and told her what an amazing and special horse she was.
After Marco, Marybeth visited the tree. Marybeth was a single mother who was trying to make ends meet by working as a Christmas Elf at the mall. She wanted to earn more money to buy her children presents for Christmas. "Oh tree!" She said, "Other families can get their children lavish gifts that flood from underneath the tree. But I struggle to get each of my children even one gift." Marybeth chewed her nails nervously as she thought of her children's disappointed faces come Christmas day. "Marybeth," The tree said "the greatest gift you give your children is your love and your compassion. Everyday you give them your guidance, you give them your care and your time. When they are old, they will not remember that Tommy down the street got more presents then them, they will remember that they have a mother who truly loves them." Marybeth felt suddenly lighter upon hearing the tree's words. "You're right tree!" she said, remembering the way her own mother showered her with love, overpowering any desire she had for things.
The last visitor that the tree had was Donovan, a young man who had lost his eye at war. He had just returned from active duty feeling depressed and scared and incomplete. "I've made so many mistakes!" Donovan bemoaned, "If only I had turned right instead of left, I may still have an eye!" The tree replied "Or if you had turned right, you would have stepped on a land mine and you wouldn't be here at all! Donovan, young man, you are brave and selfless to fight for what you believe in. But war is not easy, and you will need much time to recover. What other's know when they see you is that your sacrifices saved others." The tree wasn't even a believer in war, but he was a believer for standing up in what you believe in and Donovan surely had this trait. 'Thank you, tree' Donovan said softly but sincerely. And it would not be the only time Donovan went to the tree. He would need a lot of comforting words and wise advice to get him through the emotional burden of war. But with each visit he felt lighter.
Eventually, the tree and Donovan didn't just talk about Donovan's worries and concerns, they talked about the tree's worries too. "I'm afraid of saws!" The tree said. "I'm afraid of lightening strikes and lumber jacks and even woodpeckers! But I try to stay strong and not let my fears get to me so I can help others." Donovan was quiet for a moment before replying "Sometimes tree, it's okay not to be strong. Sometimes it is okay to let other's be strong for you." After Donovan words, both the tree and Donovan looked into the distance at the setting sun. They contemplated his words and all the words of the world and felt at peace to have each other as friends.