2/16/22 The Growing Tree

 The Growing Tree

“Plant it mommy plant it!” the young boy excitedly hopped up and down. The mother smiled and tenderly dug a small hole in the ground, dropping in a tree seed.

“Alright let’s go,” the mother said, reaching down for the boy’s hand.

“No mommy, I want to watch my tree grow!” he complained. 

“Trees don’t grow that fast. Do you really want to be right there for the next thirty years?”

The boy gasped, “Thirty years! That’s like forever.”

His mother jokingly frowned, “We will come back every once in a while to check on it alright?”

“Ok mom,” he said, standing up and grabbing his mothers hand.

Years went by, and every few months the mother would bring her son to look at the spot where the tree was planted. As the boy got older he began losing interest in the tree, bored with how slow it was going. One day the visits to the tree stopped, and the little seed layed alone in the earth for many years.

“Hey mom, do you remember that tree we planted when I was little,” the now teenaged boy asked.

“Of course I do!” the mother said excitedly.

“Well um, I was just kind of thinking, could we go see it? I’m just curious to see if it actually grew at all.”

“I thought it was too boring watching a tree grow,” she replied, mocking his teenage angst.

“Well yeah I don’t want to go all the time like we used to, I just kind of want to see how it’s doing.”

The mother smiled, “Of course we can go see it, go grab your coat.” The mother and son pay the little seed a visit and find it has matured into a small sapling. The boy runs up, his childlike excitement returning for just a moment.

“Mom look, it actually grew!”

“That’s what trees do you know.” 

After staring at the small sapling for a few moments the boy turns to his mother, “Alright, I’m ready to go home now.”

A sad look covers the mothers face, “So soon? You don’t want to go run around the park like you used to? Try to guess which tree is going to look the most like your tree?”

“No,” he replies bluntly.

“Alright, let's go home then,” she says, hiding her sadness.

The little sapling once again sits alone for a long period of time. It continues to grow but no one comes to visit anymore. It gets taller and taller and taller, but no one really cares.

One day, a man and a young boy walk up to the now fully grown tree. “I want to show you something son.”

The little boy gets excited, “What is it daddy?”

“It’s actually right here,” the man says, pointing to the tree.

A confused look spreads on the boy’s face, “This is just a tree.”

“No my son, this is a very special tree.”

“How so,” the young boy says skeptically.

“Because when I was your age, me and your grandma planted this tree.”

The little boy’s eyes light up, “Really daddy?” The man nods. An idea pops into the boy's head, “Can we plant a tree too, right next to this one please?” he drags out the last word.

The man smiles and pulls a small seed and shovel out of his coat pocket. With the boy’s help, the two dig a small hole and plant the seed.

“Now, we need to keep watch over this tree and come visit it to make sure it is doing ok.”

“Alright daddy,” the boy says determinedly.

“Now it is going to take a long time for this tree to go and it’s going to feel like forever, but don’t lose hope, one day this little seed is going to be a big tall tree just like this one,” the man says pointing to the tree.

“Do we have to come here everyday?” the boy asks.

“No, not everyday, but every once in a while we will come see it,” the man’s tone becomes very serious, “But we cannot forget about it and leave it here alright? You see, when I was younger, I got bored with the tree and stopped visiting it with my mom. I missed watching it grow big and tall. So promise me, when you are older, you will keep coming here to check on the tree alright?”

“I promise daddy!”

The End

2/16/22