This story is dedicated to the memory of Joy White, the grandmother to my dear children. She chose to have her body donated to science to help others. She is missed...
THE GRANNY TREE
"Once upon a time, there was a wonderful tree called the Granny Tree. Little children and big children came to hear the songs that poured forth when she rustled her leaves. Children would climb her trunk and swing from her branches. In the Summer when it was hot, or when they were sad, afraid or tired, they would rest against her trunk and sleep in her shade. In the autumn they would eat the fruit that had grown from her spring blossoms. The children loved the Granny Tree very much and the Granny Tree was happy.
Over the years, the sky sometimes turned dark and the wind blew hard. The Granny Tree's branches were tossed from side to side, back and forth and up and down. But, when the wind stopped blowing, the Granny Tree was still standing even though many of her branches were broken and many of her leaves had blown away. Periodically the tree wizards were called in to help the granny Tree. Dr. Fixumup would tap on her roots and feel her bark. He would climb his ladder to check her branches and put his ear to her trunk and say, "Your heart is still beating, so we will give you some medicine to heal your broken branches so you can continue to sing your songs." Usually the Granny Tree got stronger. But each time after a storm, she was sad and missed the branches and leaves that were gone. Over time, her songs weren't so loud, her shade was less plentiful and the fruits grew smaller. As long as she had some branches to give shade and some leaves to rustle and some blossoms that would turn into fruit to share with others, the Granny Tree was happy.
Then one day a very bad storm came and the Granny Tree was bent over by the force of the wind. Almost all her roots came out of the ground. The tree wizards and Dr. Fixumup tried everything to get the Granny Tree standing again. The Granny Tree looked at her branches and saw her wilting leaves. She was very sad. She knew that she would no longer be strong enough for people to lean on her trunk. There would be no more blossoms and fruit to share. There were no more leaves to rustle her songs for the children and the children's children. The Granny Tree asked that when her heart stopped beating, the tree wizards and Dr. Fixumup take what was left of her branches, her trunk and her roots to see if they could learn how to help other trees grow stronger and healthier.
The children and the children's children were very sad when the Granny Tree died and was carried away. They sat and talked about what fun it was to laugh and play in her branches, to rest against her strong and noble trunk, to languish in the shade of her branches and to enjoy her fruits. The children taught the children of their children the songs of the Granny Tree and shared her sacred stories. As long as there are children to sing her songs, the memory of the Granny Tree will never die."
