Friday, November 15, 2013

The Elephant Tree (a five minute friday)

My Five Minute Friday on: Tree

It was one of my most favorite places at the arboretum — a five minute walk from my house, passed the swan pond and up the hill from the rose garden.

From the outside it appeared as a dome of leaves, wide and tall. It's outer appearance would not have drawn you in. Just one of a thousand other trees in the arboretum's collection.


I wonder how many visitors actually knew how magnificent it truly was.

You had to enter this tree. Pulling back the branches like a curtain I stepped into what my childlike imagination affectionately called, the elephant tree.

Inside, a canopy of dangling leaves and branches. Its large, wrinkly gray trunk invited climbing and exploration. Up from its center exploded hundreds of offshoots that arched and fell back to the ground, like ribbons of water from an outdoor fountain. Love initials scrawled into its furrowed branches.

I felt safe there.


This European Weeping Beech was my childhood playground. A frequent attraction on my playdate tours. I remember taking Becky there and getting stuck in the crook of the tree, too afraid to climb back down, thinking I would have to stay there forever. Until a hero came by, gave me a little scolding for being up there, and eventually helped me down.

The tree is only a fraction of what it once was, but it will live on through it's offshoots, like Charlotte did through her baby spiders in Charlotte's Web.

And maybe one day it will again be as magnificent as it once was. And another child will find the hidden treasure inside this amazing tree.



Linking today with Lisa-Jo…
Five Minute Friday

8 comments:

STILLMAGNOLIA said...

There are so many trees that mean something to me. I love Elephant trees too. Stopping in from Five Minute Friday.

Andrew said...

Wow; what a great tree! Thanks for sharing :-)

I love trees a lot :-)

~Karrilee~ from Abiding Love, Abounding Grace said...

We have one of these trees at our Arboretum too and I LOVE it! I remember taking my girlie when she was only 5 to discover the majesty of this tree - 'from the inside'... thanks for stirring up that memory!

dayebydaye said...

Oh, just lovely!!! I love the creativity of our God in making so many different kinds of trees- endless discoveries! Thanks for sharing, Christy. I want to explore this tree!!!

Rebekah said...

This is wonderfully magnificent. I love the memories you share here and am almost envious of a childhood that included such a treasure! What fun you must have had. Thank you for sharing this gift with us!

Anonymous said...

Such beautiful words! Trees definitely do give a sense of safety. Thank you.

Unknown said...

Dear Christy
I can just imagine how you and your friends got lost in a fantasy world of fairies, princes and princesses, brave knights, dwarfs, ogres, trolls and the likes once that tree swallowed you into a whole new existence!
Blessings XX
Mia

Unknown said...

Love it. I want one of those trees. What memories you had!! I can imagine reading a book under that tree, or a picnic!! Thank you for sharing love this.

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