Tree of Hope

When Mom died recently, the neighbors gave us a gift certificate to a local nursery, knowing I am a passionate gardener - just like Mom. Wanting something special to remind me of her, I decided to plant an unusual tree.

The chosen location required a small tree, but being near the front sidewalk, one that would be interesting all year. As I flipped through my mind all the trees I have wanted to grow, I knew it had to be a Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum). Originally from China, they were introduced into this country at the turn of the previous century.

David was curious about what to expect, and while pictures helped, he wanted to see one. So one day we went to the National Arboretum, a place we have visited regularly with our dogs. I was surprised that we quickly found two paperbark maples near the National Capitol Columns. They appeared a bit rough for the wear, but still intriguing.

Then we found a very beautiful young one in the Asian Valley. Even in the early spring, without any leaves, it was a delight to see, with the reddish-orange bark that peeled back in odd places, catching the light and even moving in the breeze.

David checked around to different nurseries before he found one in stock that he brought home. I felt a bit left out of the decision, but knew he has a good eye. When I finally saw it, he had chosen well.

It was only after I planted it that I realized it was more than just reminder of my Mom’s life. It is a tree of hope for our future and for our home with a view of the Chesapeake Bay.

We have been in a time of transition for three years now. David has been professionally in-between for almost five years. I have been trying to keep going with my own professional life and pursuing my call to be a spiritual director while wondering when or how his life might pull mine up by the roots.

Without consciously deciding it, planting the tree was our way of making a commitment to put down our roots in that little piece of land looking out over the water. The experts say paperbark maples will grow to 30 feet in 50 years, and I hope to be there shaping its growth as a fitting memory of Mom.

It reminds me of Jeremiah, who bought the parcel of land as the Israelites were being marched out of Jerusalem to exile in Babylonia, showing his belief that they would be returning some day. While we are not threatened with enslavement or exile, we wonder what life will bring, and how we will be able to keep the house, its garden with the labyrinth, and the view of the Chesapeake Bay.

There is a Paper Bark Maple now growing in the front yard, our statement to God of hope that we will live in our bit of Jerusalem.