Climbing a Tree

It seems that Marcelo's cell phone has been out of service for the past couple weeks, therefore I would like to share with everyone my experiences climbing trees...

When I was younger, probably through sixth grade, my Granny lived in a house that had a nice little backyard with a bench-swing, a tool shed, and the best climbing tree ever. Every time my family went down to Houston to visit Granny, the first thing my sisters and I did when we got there was climb the tree. It never got old. There were three main branches that broke off the trunk and were sturdy enough for my sisters and I to climb on. One went horizontally, parallel to the ground over the fence. Climbing this limb allowed us to cross into uncharted territory. Past the fence was a strip of land overgrown with weeds and grass. Oftentimes we would pretend the ground was lava or the ocean and if we fell off we would burn or drown. Morbid, I know. At first we crawled on our hands and knees, but as we grew braver we started standing on the limb and walking across it. Soon we all conquered the limb and could traverse it no problem.

The second limb angled up to the right at about a 45-degree angle. This was the "intermediate" branch. Climbing this section took some skill and experience and provided a challenge in the beginning. However, this branch also offered the best sitting position. There was a smaller branch that came off and provided a nice little seat for resting. It became a goal to reach that seat and the feeling of triumph we would gain. For if you could reach the seat, you had conquered the limb. I earned many scrapes and bruises getting to that seat but I was so proud every time I made it.

The third limb was the most treacherous. It climbed at a much steeper angle than the second. At first, only Sarah, my older sister, was brave enough to climb it. Her bragging and taunts that Clare and I were too little to climb it soon became more than we can bear. It took some courage, but I would grit my teeth and try to scramble up, clinging for dear life at times. Over the years, that limb served as a sign of progress. Each time we visited Granny I was able to climb up further. There were times when I got stuck and was afraid to come down. That's when Dad played Hero. In the end, I did conquer that branch, and what a happy moment that was.

Eventually Granny moved out of that house. I miss that old tree. Climbing it's three limbs and slowly progressing to the level of Expert Tree Climber helped me learn about and develop a sense of perseverance. No matter how many scrapes or ant bites I got, I continued to climb the tree until I could do whatever I wanted on it.