This morning Larry and I were anxiously waiting for a contractor to come over and give us an estimate on some renovations we have decided to do. See, we live in a small, 75 year old log home. It now is beautifully sided and is housing 6 people with only 3 bedrooms and one bath. Over the past year, I have been seriously thinking hard of moving. I have secretly been looking for a house with a nice long driveway and surrounded by trees. My "dream" has always been to live with trees, peacefulness, and privacy. Instead, we live on a major road on 2 beautiful acres. Larry has always taken pride in the yard. While living in Ohio, landscaping became a passion of his and he is so good at it. So, for the past 10 years, we have lived in this comfy home. I approached Larry and gave him two options. Either move or renovate. Our comfy home has become a place where our boys no longer have privacy, their own space, and sleeping has become a challenge. Larry said, "I do not want to move." I said, "Ok, I am calling contractors tomorrow." Hence, the next phase of our lives is now in full swing.
So, my story begins. As we are waiting for the contractor a friend of ours stopped over to ask if one of our sons could go play with his son. We chatted for a few minutes and during that time, the contractor showed up. I introduced Larry and our friend, and Larry grabbed his "preliminary drawings" and headed off with the contractor. As I am chatting with our friend, I notice Larry and the contractor heading over to a tree in our backyard. I see the contractor waive his hand, and on they go with their conversation. My friend leaves, and I join the two men chatting. During the conversation, I said "I noticed you waived when Larry was asking about the tree?" He politely said "The tree needs to go" I said, "no" and he, ever so politely said, "The root system will kill your new foundation. See all those branches? That is what it looks like underground." He then goes on to tell us a story of how a tree ruined a basement of one of his customers. At the time, I was thinking, "OK, I guess the tree goes." But it did not sit well with me!
Then this evening, I am in the shower, and it hits me like a ton of bricks; how could I possibly consider getting rid of this tree? How selfish of me! This tree is not going anywhere!
Let me show you this beauty....
Isn't it beautiful?
This has always been a favorite tree of Larry and I. The picture does not even show the "wing span" of the tree! We have no idea what type of tree it is. We know it is a willow, but it is not a weeping willow. We always look forward to Spring. Once this tree starts budding, we know we are close to Spring! So, how could we, with no conscience, get rid of this tree? Many would find it hard to believe that anyone could have sentimental value on a tree...but see, this is MORE than just a tree to us.
See, when we moved in, we looked at this beauty in wonder. "How old is this tree?" "What exactly type of tree is it?" "How many boys have climbed this tree?" and "I wonder how many people sat and had coffee, watching this tree sway in the wind?" We even planned our fence line around this tree...so how could we cut it down? Let me tell you...this tree is not going anywhere!
Our dream has always been to have a "Morning Room." A place where we can sit and have coffee together surrounded by windows and sunshine. During our talks on renovating the house, this is one thing we are passionate about. We love our morning together on the weekends, and we have always wanted a place where we can enjoy the sunshine year around, especially during those cold Michigan Winters.
We planned our "Morning Room" off of our Master Suite. I envision wicker furniture, a fireplace, which would be surrounded by windows. Does it not sound beautiful? Now, tell me this...what good would all that be if I have to look out at an open field? What good would having all those windows, if all I looked at was the place where the "tree used to live?" Every time I sat in that beautiful space, I would think of the wondrous tree that used to be there. Fall would come and we would have no leaves to rake, the kids would have no piles of leaves to jump in, no crisp leaves under our feet, and the smell of Fall would be gone. Then Winter would arrive and the beauty of snow on the branches would be something of the past, the ice crystals that make a winter wonderland, would be no more. Then Spring, and no buds, no signs of Spring, no life coming from the Earth. And Summer would arrive, and there would be no leaves blowing in the wind, the fullness of the tree, the new branches...it would all be gone! And why? because I was so selfish and wanted a bigger house.
This tree has been the "center" of our backyard. Our boys have climbed this tree, had their pictures taken in this tree. Their friends have made forts in this tree. I have watched this tree during horrendous thunderstorms, stay strong and not sway, lean, or even slightly move. This tree is so engraved into the ground, that its roots are as strong as ever. This tree has been there for all the owners of our small home. The history planted in these roots are undeniable, and I refuse to end its story because it still has a ton of history to write!
Every Summer, Larry will get his Mom's tractor, and we will embark on cutting dead branches, branches that are to close to the ground, and branches that almost touch our house. I will drive the tractor while larry rides in the bucket. I will lift the bucket and he will cut branches down as I direct him to the ones that need to go. Our boys have always loved this because, they too, get to ride in the bucket and tell us which ones should be cut. These are memories being made that could never be replaced.
Can you imagine what this tree has seen in its life? Can you imagine the weather, storms, hot, cold, windy, calm, silence loudness; it has endured? How many children have found joy in the branches of this beauty? How many times have the owners of the house, looked out the window at the swaying branches while deep in thought? So many of these questions we will never know the answer to...but I know it has lived longer than most people I know. I know it has roots that span our 2 acres, and I think we will just take our chances on this tree ruining our new foundation. Because, that can always be fixed, but once you cut her down...there is NO replacing the beauty it delivers.
We are very uncertain about what exactly our "new" house will look like. We have not gotten that far. We have many wonderful idea's and it will be exciting to watch them bloom. But I can guarantee that our plans will not include getting rid of this piece of history...for I plan on my grandchildren climbing this tree, Kade's dream tree-house being built, and many wonderful hours sitting with my husband watching the tree in our backyard. Memories are worth so much more than any renovations ever could be, and those renovations would mean nothing if the pillar of our backyard was no more. So, I will sip my coffee and know that I did what my heart told me to do. I chose to let this tree show its beauty, even if that means we could have problems in our future. For it has always been there for us, standing tall, standing strong, and standing proud.
Hugging my HUGE tree in Pickford,
Shelby <3
