Trees to Climb

They have been standing so long. They define the landscape and touch the sky. Immobile giants offering us shade, a place to hide, a place to day dream, place to climb, a place to rest and imagine our cares away. Branches like veins stretching reaching up into the sky. Waving and dancing, please look at me. Feel me, breath me in, take me in, sway with me.

Each branch, adorned in every shade of green, trillions of green colored coins covering the stable trunk, coins that eventually turn to yellow, red, gold, and orange in the fall. And eventually fall to the ground, to be raked and piled, and rolled around in by kids of all ages. The laughter, the smell, the sound, lingers in my senses, even after the first flakes of snow begin to fall, and the trees retreat to a hard gray shell of what they were just a short time ago.
Spring appears, and each dead looking branch, begins anew. Exploding in new life, ready to shade you, comfort you, ready for you to climb again. Ready for a new year, and new life to blossom.
War today, destruction today, fire today, hate today. Tornado, hurricane, avalanche, will we survive it all? More soldiers killed, more innocent people killed, buildings being blown apart, all in the name of peace. I don't see peace in the eyes of loved ones whose child was killed while defending this peace.
Will that tree be there tomorrow for me to see the cycle of life again? Will my sons climb them, see them, feel them, smell them, and hide in their shade?
I can't answer that question. I can only hope that God hears my plea. Please let there be trees one day for my sons to climb, and for them to know peace, love, and harmony. For hate to only be a memory, for love of thy neighbor to be common place. That power and control take a back seat to families, ice cream socials, tree climbing, community, faith, charity, patience and respect.

Waving in my backyard now is an enormous tree, its bark so old and thick, you can climb it with ease. Each finger finding a perfect hold in its massive trunk. It is covered in green leaves, and makes wonderful noise in the wind and rain. It shades 4 yards, and provides a place for imagination to wonder. And when I close my eyes, I imagine away all that ails us. My oldest son wants to be a tree climber when he grows up. I hope he gets to keep that dream alive.