Our Split Tree

Down by the creek, where the water swiftly flows, my favorite tree grows. We were two young siblings exploring our newfound turf. We searched along the creek bank and came upon what would later be known as the Split Tree. It was technically two trees that grew directly next to each other, giving the appearance of one tree with a split trunk, thus we dubbed it our Split Tree. This tree united my younger brother and me in the years to come. The memory of this tree reminds me of the endless days in the woods with the sound of the water quietly flowing by. This tree reminds me of my little shadow, my companion who will always be by my side. But more importantly, this tree reminds me of the closeness of my God and his unconditional love for me. At first, there was a little ambiguity concerning the claims for our Split Tree. We have two older brothers who always felt entitled and they argued that the Split Tree was their tree. They stated they had found it first, and that they were older, automatically giving them dibs. This did not go over well with us younger Gilberts. We knew we had found the tree first, not to mention that there were more than a thousand other trees to choose from, they could not have our tree, not if we had anything to say about it. My younger brother and I fought for our tree with unbeatable determination and confidence. It was not something to just give up on, we stood our ground, taking the first step toward standing up for our beliefs, a skill that would come in handy later in life as we struggled to prove our faith to the eyes always judging us. The older boys soon got bored with the conflict and moved on, claiming they were “the peacemakers” in the situation, “and don’t forget Lexi, peacemakers will be called sons of God.” Trying one last time to guilt trip their little sister into getting their way. But it would not work this time as it had so many times before. Victory to the younger siblings at last! Determination and confidence breed victory. That was the first lesson our Split Tree taught my younger brother and me. My brother and I climbed up the tree and claimed our spots in the high branches, this way we each had our own home in the Split Tree. Next we decided to make a patio and preceded to drag rock after rock from the creek bed, always searching for the perfect fit as we pieced them together for our patio puzzle. The result was a patchwork of multicolored creek rocks that looked extremely out of place, but they were beautiful to us. However rocks remain forever, a fact my father will not let us forget as he is forced off the lawn mower still today to move creek rocks from the grass. Pride is like creek rocks in that way, it remains forever even if it becomes hidden in the grass for a while. My brother and I took great pride in our Split Tree, it represented determination and victory over our brothers as well as hard work and beauty. We took comfort in the tree, this fact still remains, even if the tree no longer stands. In our memories and hearts it will always be a place of refuge and worship. No life is perfect, there will always be moments of fear and sadness, but my brother and I had a safe haven. I would return home from school, throwing my back pack down as I turned on my heel to run toward the woods, only to be minimally delayed by my father’s orders to change into play clothes. I would rush to the edge of the forest then stop and slowly walk down the path, lined with purple and yellow wild flowers, which led to the creek side. I would slip off my shoes and walk through the cool water around the bend only to stop and see my brother, sitting in the branches of our Split Tree. There were times I would not even speak to him and times we would argue over pointless details but we always shared our tree. At one point I can remember dusk falling and my parents yelling for us to come inside and we responded by climbing down as slowly as possible. One evening my brother was not at the dinner table and my parents proceeded to yell his name from the front door, but I just rushed past them yelling over my shoulder, “I know where he is.” And sure enough I arrived to find him perched in the branches of our Split Tree. I encouraged him down and walked with him home. The Split Tree was a place of solace, where he could sort through his thoughts and prayers. We had that in common. There had been many of times I had run to hide in the branches of the tree, climbing higher and higher, trying to get as close to God as possible, hoping he could hear me more clearly. Funny how the logic of a child works. Even now as my brother and I have grown up and our tree has slowly decomposed we find solace in its branches, through our memories. When times get rough I simply walk toward God’s nature and admire while listening for his voice and signing his praise. I have learned to humble myself, to return to the mindset of a child and adore my heavenly father. I have taught myself to remember the closeness of my encounters with God as a child sitting high in the branches. I can walk through any forest and remember the peace and joy of our Split Tree. Down by the creek where the water swiftly flows, that is where my Split Tree grows.