Thinking About Trees
by Art DeGroot
When I was a boy I’d like to go for walks along a creek behind our house. One of my destinations was a group of aspen trees growing on both sides of the creek. The trees came together forming a sort of tunnel one could walk under. The leaves moving in the breeze were so noisy you could hear nothing else. I imagined they were talking to me.
God was talking to me. It’s a good memory. We had a pear tree growing behind our house. I liked to climb up into the branches and think about life. In August I could eat pears while up in the tree. God was good. I can still taste those pears. We had a large crab apple tree growing further back of the house. In the spring there would be a huge amount of pink blossoms on the tree. I liked to sit beside it and think about my life. Who was I in this big world and what was my future. I felt close to God. It was a good feeling.
Fifty years later I’m in Canton walking down the lower Rouge River Trail. There is a grove of walnut trees and a sitting bench nearby. Walnuts lie on the ground and squirrels that are red, black, and grey gather the nuts. They remind me of Canton, a community of many different colored people. I’m thinking about my life and my future. I feel the presence of God. Trees have a special power.