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Earlier this week, my neighbor across the street had three giant oak trees removed. I knew they had to come down, but it still tugged at my heart. Those trees have been part of the landscape for as long as I can remember, and watching them disappear felt like saying goodbye to another piece of my childhood.
When the work was finished, two of the trees were completely gone. If you hadn’t known they had ever stood there, you would never guess it. But one stump remained…and what a stump it is!
Just look at the size of that thing! Then look closely at all the carvings etched into its bark over the years. Oh, if that old stump could talk, what stories it could tell.
That mighty oak once held the neighborhood rope swing. I imagine every kid in the neighborhood—including me—took a turn soaring through the air. And if we’re telling the truth, just about every one of us crashed into that tree at least once! It watched generations of children play, laugh, scrape knees, and make memories that have lasted a lifetime.
I hate to admit it, but getting older means watching familiar things slowly disappear. It’s not just the people we miss. The houses change. The trees come down. The streets somehow seem different.
I’ve lived in my house for about 47 years, and before that, my grandparents called it home. Sometimes I wonder what will happen to it one day. Neither of my boys lives in Magee anymore. My oldest son, Dickey, jokes that he’s going to turn the house into a museum because I’ve collected so much “old stuff.”
Well, museums are wonderful…but I’d rather keep making memories than preserving them behind glass.
Watching the places we love change isn’t always easy. Still, memories have a way of taking root just like those old oak trees.
So, enough of my sentimental rambling!
I’m hoping this giant stump sticks around for a long, long time. Who knows? Maybe someone will turn it into a work of art. Maybe it’ll become a favorite photo spot. Or maybe it’ll simply stand there as a reminder of all the laughter, friendship, and childhood adventures it witnessed.
One thing is certain—I can’t wait to see what happens next.
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