We have been living in our house for almost six years now. When we first moved in we fell in love with our large hackberry tree in the front yard. It provided shade and protection. It stood tall and beautiful. Every summer it would explode with leaves, and was the perfect place to rest on a hot summer day.
We never thought about what we might do if we ever had to cut it down. About a year ago a small, insignificant crack turned into three minor cracks; which through time and weather spread toward the ground. Before we knew it, the cracks had almost reached the ground. We had chained it to hold it together through the winter. Every time the wind came up it would creak and moan; it was sad a thing to see happen knowing there wasn’t anything we could have done to prevent this.
Then the day came (today) for the dear friend to come down. We watched the small limbs go first, then the larger one, then parts of the trunk, and then finally we were left with only the stump. It was a great tree, and it will be greatly missed.
" "I don't need very much now," said the boy,
"just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very tired."
"Well," said the tree,
straightening herself up as much as she could,
"well, an old stump is good for sitting and resting.
Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and rest."
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy." ~ Shel Silverstein – The Giving Tree
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