A friend of mine says she would take a bullet for a caterpillar. I didn’t think I was that softhearted, but we had to cut a beautiful old tree down last week and it made me sad. The arborist found numerous hollowed out boles that were a threat to bring the tree down in a storm so we had to have it removed. It didn’t help the tree was otherwise lush and leafy and gloriously full of life. It was unfortunate to cut it down but it was, as they say, all for the best.
Still, it was hard to destroy such a big beautiful tree. It was even harder to believe not only was the tree being cut down, but it would be immediately blasted into oblivion by a wood-chipper. From majestic maple to nothing. A loss and a waste. On the scale of things, it obviously wasn’t as bad as shutting off life support for a loved one, or euthanizing your dog or cat, but it just plain sucked. Warning! When you are told things are all for the best it really means they suck and there’s no alternative.
The night before the beautiful maple was cut down, I snuck out in the dark and performed last rights on the mighty tree. I felt there should be some kind of gesture, or good bye, for this living thing. I said a prayer to ease it’s suffering, or if I couldn’t ease it’s suffering, at least acknowledge, well… something.
Now that I think of it. Maybe I would take a bullet for a caterpillar.
Copyright 2017 Christopher Donahue