Elmwood by Sara Gleason
Oak Tree by Sara Gleason
Map Your Life : Starter by Rebecca McMeen
Then and Now Collab. by Sara Gleason and Designed by Soco
Treasured Collab. by The Lilypad Designers
Arboretum {Home} by Sara Gleason
Journaling 535 words.
Journaling Reads:
The morning sun rises, and my uppermost leaves start to feel the warmth of the sun’s rays. I see a woman approaching. As she slowly and purposefully moves towards me, I recognize her facial features. She is familiar to me, and I know her well.
More than fifteen years have passed since she first stopped by. Back then she was a regular visitor to this park. Each afternoon, at the end of the school day, she would spend a few hours here. In those days, she was always accompanied by her young son. They would come skipping by together, talking and laughing as they passed me. They would often sit in the shade of my branches, eating ice cream or having a picnic together after school. I would listen to them talking, and loved to hear the boy’s stories about life in the second grade. The boy’s mother would often bring a ball, and the two of them would kick it around the park together. That kid really loved the dirt! Most afternoons he would sit and play in the dirt around my trunk, digging and building imaginary roller coasters with bark chips, or playing happily with his toy cars. I remember one windy afternoon, the two of them had great fun flying a kite together high above my leaves. It was the first time I had seen a kite like that, so who can blame me for snagging it on my branches so that I could get a closer look? They were both very happy when a gust of wind released the kite from my grasp and they could take it home! Sometimes, on weekends, they would come and visit together as a family. That boy looked just like his father! The three of them would sit on a blanket and picnic in the shade of my leaves, making memories and soaking up the time together as a family. On weekends, the boy would bring a baseball bat, and his Dad would pitch to him. That kid sure knew how to hit a baseball! When he connected bat to ball, Mom would go scurrying after it and throw it back to Dad. The three of them used to laugh and have so much fun together. The boy’s mother really loved those days!
My bough has become gnarled and I have dropped my leaves for many seasons since then. I have not seen the boy in many years. I am sure he must be all grown up by now. I wonder if he remembers those happy days like I do? The boy’s mother, on the other hand, is still a regular visitor to this park. I have not seen her since early December, and today is the first time I have seen her here on crutches. She usually runs right past me early each morning, barely stopping for a second to glance at her watch, before continuing on. Today, however, the boy’s mother has stopped and has, once again, sought the shade of my branches. Today, she pauses and reflects as she sits here alone. Today, perhaps, like me, the boy’s mother is thinking about those days, and remembering the joy that they shared together.
