The Friendship Oak.

It is clearly chained off. Marked — Don’t cross the fence. Don’t touch. Don’t walk here. He lifted one young girl over the chain. The other daughter followed. He, on his cell phone, stepped over the chain. Past the warnings. Over roots and survival. Stomping on future growth. We couldn’t believe our eyes. We were getting in our car, just after visiting The Friendship Oak. I started waving at them to get out. Couldn’t they read? Didn’t they care at all? It has survived over 500 years, this tree. Hurricanes at their worst. Katrina even. I’m not so certain it can handle stupidity. He said, “We’re just passing through…” The one and only thing they asked us not to do.

But we do that, don’t we… Not only to nature, but to each other. So oblivious to the signs. How easily we can trample over one another. “It was just a joke.” “I didn’t mean it.” “I was just passing through…”

I know I’m guilty. I want to do better. I don’t want to walk over someone’s hopes. Someone’s dreams. Someone’’s future growth. Please let me be the one to admire. To offer encouragement. Let me see the signs, even when they aren’t so clearly marked. What if we did that for each other? Gave everyone a chance to keep growing. Be a little more friendly. Maybe, we could even gift to ourselves. (My heart smiles of green.)