Monday, February 2, 2009

My little tree hugger

Yesterday we were out taking the dogs for a walk when Anna said "Oh! I haven't said hi to my favorite tree all winter!" I've known about her favorite tree for a while. A block from our house is a tree-lined boulevard; for some reason she has deemed one of the blue-spruce trees there her favorite. Whenever we walk by, she'll go up to this particular tree and wrap her arms around it, looking up into the branches above. I give her space but often see her talking to her tree.

Yesterday she said "Mom, did you know that this tree's name is Nancy? And that one is her son, Frederick. Some people call him Fred, but he prefers Frederick."

I love her imagination and the connection she feels with the natural world. I think her grandpa would have really enjoyed this kid. I wish they'd known each other.

5 comments:

Jodi said...

Yea it's a bummer isn't it. He would absolutely ADORE his grandkids and great grandkids.

Lucky me though! I believe he sees us and them every day! In fact, I believe he's preparing Anna for bigger and better things than we would ever imagine.

One of the joys of believing we don't "just die"!

Dee said...

I completely agree with both of you. He loved Jake so much and was so very proud of him. He would have been a big old softy over all the kids and they would have loved him. I think he is sending messages to Anna---she is so in tune with nature.

That's sweet that she loves that tree and its child.

Whosyergurl said...

Oh, Mama, you are raising a wonderful daughter, there! I love it that she talks to trees, names them, hugs them...just think of all of the other wonderful things she has yet to do!

xo, Cheryl

David said...

Just wait 'til she's a teenager - she'll want to be a logger just to spite us!

Fancy Schmancy said...

What a sweet, rare and wonderful child you are raising.

I've always been partial to the name, Nancy...