Our First Tree

Okay, so you’re probably thinking – it’s a tree – who cares. Well, I do! I think that trees are an important part of life, they are kind of a “forever thing” not like flowers and plants. With water and love and sunshine, this tree will be in our backyard for many many years to come – and that’s kind of a big thing, when you think about it. I had even incorporated trees into our wedding ceremony. We had an outdoor wedding, and I didn’t think the unity candle would work with the wind – and I wasn’t a fan of the colored sand thing. So, I came up with the “unity tree” idea. We were going to plant a tree during our wedding ceremony, my mom putting in the water, his mom adding the dirt, and finally us adding the seed. I would of course love to be telling you that this was the tree we planted in our backyard. However, as most wedding aren’t without their mishaps, we forgot the water for the unity tree and before the night was over the glass container it was planted in was broken and thrown away. So, our unity tree was more of a symbolic thing.

Anyway, my husband, who is a landscaper and a lover of trees (when we’re out walking he wows me with is knowledge of all the scientific names of trees – very sexy), did the actual picking of the tree and found the perfect spot in the backyard. I (sort of) helped him dig the hole and there we were – standing in our very own backyard – with our very first tree. Happy Earth Day, Little Tree!

This is the poem that was read while we did the “unity tree” during the ceremony:

Tree of Love
Sandra E. McBride

From the seed of this day,
Let their love grow
As the tree grows,

Reaching down, to build
Strong roots,

Reaching out, to provide
Comfort and sustenance,

Reaching up, to seek
The grace of God.

Let their love grow
As the tree grows,
Deeper, wider, stronger
With each passing year.