Tree of Life

At school, I would get beat by bullies. They always dragged me to the storage room and kicked me till they got bored. When I arrived home, my nose was assaulted by the scent of cigarettes and alcohol. My parents seemed to enjoy fighting. Whenever they fought, I escaped to my backyard leaving their frenzied screaming. I would sit under the massive oak tree until the noises died down. 

One day, I grabbed a rope by the shed and climbed the tree. When I got to the top of the tree, I looked at the entirety of my neighborhood. From there I saw my school, where my bullies beat me and I also saw my house, where my lovely parents lived. But beyond the horizon, I saw more than my neighborhood. The wide reaching field filled my view, the blue air expanded above me, and the birds flew through the limitless sky. It was beautiful, it was indescribable. 

For the first time I felt hope. I wished to live and I let go of the rope. After I breathed in the scenery I went back into the depths of the treetop. Inside, the leaves encompassed my body. The green foliage protected me from the cold airy winds. Unlike the view from outside, the lush foliage created a new world. I climbed down the tree with a new sense of determination.

During weekdays, I would come straight to the tree after school. I stayed inside the treetop till nightfall. I talked to the tree and told her my hardships. She always comforted me and listened to my difficulties. The fresh smell of greenery gave me peace of mind, after the day’s troubles. Many animals also dwelled in the tree. Birds and squirrels were quite the frequent visitors. One blue jay had made itself a nest in the tree seeking its protection. The tree was a home to me, a home to all.

As I grew up, I joined the navy to explore the larger world. I spent my days traveling all around the world experiencing new culture, people, and ideas. But I always remembered the tree that nurtured me and provided shelter during my times of difficulty, for the tree that accepted me for who I was and listened to me everyday, and for the tree that gave me a vision to broaden my horizons. 

After my long journey, I returned. The world around the tree had changed. My old house was replaced with a senior home and the school was remodeled into a large hospital. However, the tree itself remained the same, undying, and timeless. Standing tall in the center of the senior home garden, kids played around the tree, while the tree offered a cool shadow, blocking out the heat. Even after my time with the tree ended, it still continued to provide for and protect the next generation.