The Father's Day Tree
My favorite symbol of Father’s Day is the maple tree in my family’s backyard. It reminds me of my dad because it was planted in his memory.
Everyone told me to be prepared for “firsts”: the first Easter, birthday, Christmas after my dad passed away following a courageous battle with multiple myeloma, cancer of the blood cells. The advice was thoughtful, helpful, and deeply appreciated. Dad died in January, so the “year of firsts” began the first of the year.
Family birthdays and holidays slipped past. When the calendar flipped from May to June, it revealed my birthday and Father’s Day on the same Sunday. That‘s when the tree came into play. Scott and I are in a Bible study with four other couples. They stepped in to make it a memorable day rather than one of sadness by planting the maple tree in our backyard.
I don’t hug the tree in lieu of my dad on Father’s Day but I do ask the Lord to hug him for me until I can do it myself. Until then, I have loads of happy memories of my dad and a beautiful maple tree in the backyard. It’s a gift of love, just like the father, family and friends God has given me.
A friend loves at all times…
Proverbs 17:17a
© 2012 Becky Danielson. All rights reserved.
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