A Braided Essay

“What is wrong with me,” she asks. 

Her caregiver says, “Many are unwell. I’m diabetic and can’t enjoy sugar. For you, dementia means forgetting some things.” 

They pull into the Tastee Freeze drive-through for an ice cream. She gazes beyond the passenger-side window, and points, saying, “I feel just like that tree.” 

A tree with a hollow trunk continues to survive. It is barren, shedding leaves in the fall. Its roots, though, connect with the earth, drawing in moisture and minerals. A tree like the sycamore is admired for its strength and resilience, growing seeds with extended wings to travel through the air, replanting to create new life. 

She wonders, “Who am I anyway?” In seeking to know, she finds internal beauty and truth, for she is beautiful within and without.

The barren or leafless tree, no longer bearing fruit, symbolizes a lack of hope or life, a feeling of desolation, emptiness. Yet a tree barren of fruit is very much alive underneath. Faith in God’s power brings us out of despair and gives us hope. “With God, all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). Hope gives us peace in the present and great expectations for the future as we look forward to the eternal tree of life. 

“Life isn’t the same,” she says with sorrow on her brow. 

Tree leaves change with the seasons—blossoms in spring, fruit in summer, changing colors in fall, shedding in winter. We too change with the seasons.

She asks about living and dying. About family in heaven. Her love of birds, animals, and all living creatures is without limits, just like in heaven. 

She loves nature and knows the art of flowers, handcrafting spectacular wreaths for every season, sharing her gift with those she loves. “If we are peaceful, if we are happy, we can smile and blossom like a flower, and everyone in our family, our entire society, will benefit from our peace” (Thich Nhat Hanh).

The magnolia tree, in all its magnificence, bears pink or white flowers in spring. The lilac bears white, mauve, or purple flowers with a delicate, calming fragrance. Trees are essential for our survival on Earth. They play an important part in our environment and are needed for many things like furniture, fruit, spices, medicine, and books! 

She has enjoyed reading novels, especially The Thorn Birds and Clan of the Cave Bear.

Though some trees have brittle or broken limbs, they still reflect light on water, the sun and sky peeking through their branches. They are the source of food and drink—chocolate, nuts, dates—even wine and coffee! 

When she enjoys good food, we see it in her sparkling eyes as she breathes in spicy or sweet aromas, savoring every bite like it is heaven on earth. When leaving a restaurant, she slips the waiter an extra tip just because she loves giving to others.

The wood from spruce and maple trees is used to craft violins. Ebony is a timber famous for making the black keys of a piano. 

She loves music and feels it in her bones, swaying and dancing to every beat. “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain” (unknown). And although she sings a little off-key, she calls loved ones every year to sing the birthday song. It sounds more beautiful each time. “Let all the trees of the forest sing for joy” (Psalm 96:12).

Oil from olive trees is used in cooking, providing light, and anointing the body. Oil from the eucalyptus has a natural antiseptic used in medicines. The frankincense tree, in ancient times, provided an aromatic white resin—a gift from the Magi to honor baby Jesus in Bethlehem. Its essential oil is used in cosmetics, perfumes and soaps, as a calming fragrance.  

Her beauty radiates naturally, yet she is meticulous when applying make-up, her crown holding every hair in place, dressing neat as a pin, and her scent is as sweet as Estee Lauder.

When our thoughts are dominated by hurt or anxiety, we can shed them by spending time among trees. So, you see, a world without trees is impossible to imagine. Their value on earth is deeply meaningful. Their beauty inspires poets and artists as leaves absorb light energy from the sun. 

Her smile is like the sun. Her laugh is as big and bright as a full moon! She is a tree…a tree of light.