The Marvel of Summertime
I have a huge tree in my yard that has died. I have obtained a variety of expert opinions, and there is no saving the 120+-year-old tree. From what the experts, “tree men,” and arborists tell me, the tree has died in a strange way. Usually trees die from the top down, but this one has died almost vertically from front to back. The tree has died rather suddenly. Last fall it was healthy and this spring it just didn’t “green up.” Even in the last month, as I have tried to determine its fate, the branches look worse and appear to be more of a hazard. So next week on the 4th of July there will be a crane in my yard dismantling this towering 100-feet-tall pin oak.
Because I have spent a great deal of time staring up at this tree over the last month, I have had time to reflect on its beauty. It is balanced from every direction without being symmetrical. It has a perfectly rounded outline. The bottom branches are massive; the roots cast a huge net and run quite deep. Think of the history that trees that size and age have towered over. The tree has been there twice as long as the house, shaded all the families that have lived there, and dropped piles of leaves. I saw a butterfly lay eggs on the trunk one evening. How many squirrels have lived in its branches and how many thousands of Langhorne Road runners have passed by?
As SOAR continued this week and hundreds of new students registered for classes and filed by tables, it marks such a milestone in their lives. Parents are wandering around wondering how their tiny infants grew up so fast. Students are anxious to get started on their adult lives. Parents ask questions about safety and student employment; students want to know about ways to get involved and where to eat. The pace of SOAR always catches me off guard with the schedule of meetings and panels. The campus goes from quiet to alive as we all reset for the next session.
Time in the summer is such a precious commodity. It moves slowly as we try to take vacation and allow space for writing goals and extra reading, hanging out at the pool or lounging on the beach. My kids are always telling me they are bored (until I give them a chore to do). The days are longer and the minute summer starts you can feel the end creeping up on you. I saw my first “school supply sale” ad today.
This summer, take time to look at the trees and try to be mindful of the way the time passes for trees instead of the rush that so often makes us anxious and in a hurry. Summer is a time to be intentional about having fun and letting yourself play. Do things that bring you joy. Enjoy the evening breezes and the fireflies. Enjoy the fresh fruit and vegetables. The days have already started getting shorter, and you owe it to yourself to celebrate summer as much as you can.
May there be in this summer season,
Times when you can sit and listen, be still and feel the breeze,
Moments to rest and relax.
Moments to wonder about the grandeur of a tree, or marvel at a firefly.
May the summer warmth cause you to smile, the ice cream bring back childhood
memories.
Watch the fireworks and put your feet in the sand.
Blessings for your summer.
Blessings, Stephanie