I look at the 90 foot cedar tree in front of my driveway. Somehow I haven't noticed this tree in the past two to three years, but this week I did. The cedar tree is actually on Town of Fort White property across from my driveway, and was planted by Truett years ago to keep riff-raff from driving along the pit road up to our house. The cedar tree was just a tiny thing back then, all spindly and pathetic looking.
As the cedar tree grew we thought of stringing Christmas lights on it; but that would have taken too much effort. We also thought of cutting it down and bringing it into our house; but, once again, too much effort when we could simply buy an artificial tree and just unbox it once a year. Now the cedar tree is tall and full enough to stand in the White House or the Governor's mansion.
I have memories of raccoons climbing the spindly pathetic tree. I have memories of deer feeding beneath the cedar tree. So this week as I was looking at the tree a thought popped in my mind. . . It's only a tree. And I couldn't let that thought diminish the importance the cedar tree played in my life. The cedar tree holds many memories for me.