The Old Oak Tree

           Harry and Sharon Gillespie sat on a swing on the West side of their three-acres of land that they called home. It was a beautiful location surrounded by emerald-green grass and flowers of every color imaginable. A winding stream flowed endlessly further to the South and into the dense forest that provided privacy around the property.

           The place that they cherished most, however was just fifteen feet from where they now sat. A large oak tree that they had planted on the day that they moved in, which was more that fifty years ago. Harry and Sharon gave that tree love and care from the time it was a sapling and watched it grow. It felt like a child to them.

           They would often come sit on the swing and admire the old oak while the sun was setting. It was more difficult these days to make the journey due to age and illnesses hindering their mobility, but at least once per week for the last fifty-three years, this had become their tradition.

           It was the elderly couple’s fifty-fourth wedding anniversary the following day and the guests began arriving as early as 10:00 AM. The first to arrive was Shannon, their eldest daughter, along with her family. Shannon’s husband, John, worked as a mechanic and Harry and John would sit for hours talking about nothing but cars. This left Shannon to watch their two children, Max, and Chrissy for the duration of the visit.

           With the permission of Harry and Sharon, John had built a treehouse in the old oak tree for when the grandkids came to visit. Max and Chrissy along with the other kids who came to visit, would climb the ten-foot ladder into their wooden fortress and spend several hours playing games inside. John even installed a slide for them to exit by.

           Lunchtime rolled around and many more guests had arrived including Harry and Sharon’s other two children, Jennifer, and Peter.

           Jennifer was the youngest child at twenty-eight years of age. She was still single and slightly rebellious. Her lifestyle was not what her parents had hoped for, but they were glad that she was healthy and happy.

           Jennifer was a promiscuous woman who seemed to go through men faster than you could go through a loaf of bread. Her mother tried on several occasions to lure her away from her sinful ways, but Jennifer was too headstrong and did not want to listen. However, when she came to visit her parents and walked to the back of the house and saw that old oak tree, her troubles seemed to disappear.

           Gazing at the winding pattern of the rough bark, brought her back to her childhood when she and her siblings would climb the tree. They had even tied a rope to one of the lower branches and would swing from it. Jennifer, who was always a rebel, attempted to climb atop the branch with the rope one day when she was around twelve years old, and while grasping the rope tightly, she leapt from the branch. When the rope extended to its full length, Jennifer’s body felt the thrust and her shoulder had popped. Jennifer fell to the ground and was taken to the hospital where the doctor x-rayed her and found that she had dislocated her shoulder. He popped it back in place but told Jennifer that she may have problems with that for the rest of her life. Though instead of it being a hinderance, Jennifer used her dislocating shoulder to freak people out. She would pop it out upon request and get enjoyment out of watching faces cringe.

           Peter was two years younger than Shannon. Because of his parents love for trees, Peter studied to become an arborist. He spends his days transplanting and splicing trees. He was currently attempting to splice an oak tree with a willow tree.

Whenever Peter came to visit, he would look over the old oak and give suggestions to his father on ways to extend its life. He wasn’t thrilled about the treehouse being built in it, but it was not his place to say.

Peter’s wife, Alice, was a botanist, so while Peter took care of the trees on the property, Alice would help Sharon out with the many flowers that filled the gardens. She created a hybrid flower that was cross-pollinated between a tulip and a harebell. It turned into a beautiful creation of yellow and purple. She planted several in Sharon’s garden.

Peter glided his hands across the rough bark of the tree and thought back to his childhood. He remembered when the tree had only been half the size that it is today. Many times, he and his sisters would have races to see who could reach the top branches first. Jennifer used to win most days, and after her fall, Peter thought that he stood a better chance, but Jennifer was more determined than ever to win and climbed harder and faster than she ever had. He admired that about her. Shannon had never been able to climb quickly and although she did not want to admit it back then, she had a fear of high places, so she purposely went slow to stay low down on the branches.

Peter and Alice had a daughter named May who was a shy girl and did not want to play with the other kids, so often she would help her mother in the garden instead. Alice taught her everything she knew and by the time May turned ten, she knew more about plants and flowers than most people twice her age.

That old oak was the centerpiece to all the events that occurred on the Gillespie homestead. Shannon recalled having her sweet sixteen under the shade of the outspread branches. Her friends all posed for pictures in front of it. Peter and Alice had their wedding reception at his parent’s home with the old oak being the backdrop for the first dance as a married couple. There were so many beautiful memories still to be made through the eyes of the children who enjoyed it today.

A few years had passed since that wonderful day and Sharon had become ill. Her body started to shut down on her a little at a time until one day, her eyes closed for good. Within two weeks of the funeral, Harry had died of a broken heart. He could not bear being without his true love.

In their wills, both Sharon and Harry had stated that they wished to be cremated and their ashes were to be mixed in with the soil at the base of the old oak tree. They wanted to be able continue spending their evening watching the sunset as it passed through the leaves.

The tree seemed stronger then ever after that day. Peter and Alice were left the property and continued to take care of the tree, then sat each night in the swing talking to the old oak as it were now a part of his parents.

Jennifer calmed down with her promiscuity after meeting a physiotherapist that was caring for her shoulder. The two of them would visit the tree at least once per month as well.

Shannon and John stopped by with the kids regularly as well so her parents could hear Max and Chrissy laughing in the treehouse above.

At the base of the tree where the ashes were spread, Peter had placed a plaque with a quote by Henry David Thoreau which read, “Every oak tree started as a couple of nuts who stood their ground.”