small things

*OUR* Big Ol’ Oak

I wrote these words in August of 2010:

We’ve read that a white oak tree spends two hundred years growing, two hundred living, and two hundred dying.  Branch by branch, ours is dying. 
Over the years I have recorded my children sitting in front of this mighty white oak tree many times.  While my children are young and constantly growing, our Big Ol’ Oak saw it’s youth hundreds of years ago, long before we were born.  So now, as we thrive, it declines.  It seems that each time we visit, another branch has fallen to the forest floor. Nevertheless, the Big Ol’ Oak it will always be; champion tree in our neck of the woods.
I’m not sure that I can remember even the year that marked the first time Seth and Keats came racing in the house shouting that they had discovered an enormous tree in the forest behind our house.  I know they begged me to hike to it with them, but I am not sure if I went that day, the following week, or even the next month.  I am not sure how much time passed before I sat the boys down for a picture with “their” tree.

And though we’ve spoken of this ancient white oak tree as if it were ours for many years, it has officially belonged to three others during the time we have lived in our house.  The acreage it lives on has passed from landowner, to developer, and finally a couple years ago, to a builder.  We live in an expensive part of the country, and we never could afford to buy the land ourselves.  Early this year, Jonny sent the builder an email, asking what his plans were for the lot on which our tree resides.  He informed us that he would be building a house there this year.  Though our tree wasn’t directly threatened, our dreams of ever truly calling it ours would end.  It may sound silly, but I cried.  Jonny wrote and asked the builder if he might consider selling the lot to us instead, and he agreed to meet us on the land to discuss the possibility.

Last week, after all those years of hoping and waiting, and one mama’s pleas to a builder, not to build a house on the four acre lot next to us, but instead to sell it to us at no profit to himself, the papers were signed and the Big Ol’ Oak is officially ours.

We have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, including four acres of forest, and one dear old white oak tree.

 

bigoldoakoriginal

(early spring 2007)

Big old oak 2009

(summer 2010)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Congratulations! How very exciting! We used to have a big valley oak that, while it wasn’t ours, it seemed like ours. Then we had to move away…to acreage…but no oaks 🙁 I miss that big old oak. You are so very fortunate to now *own* yours!

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  6. My heart sank for you as I was reading this – and then an unexpected happy ending! So, so, happy for you. It’s wonderful!

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  8. I am so happy for you Ginny! Now I wonder if you could bump out a wall or two and just add a room or two to your house and then you wouldn’t have to move 🙂 Do you have a view of that tree? Gosh that would make everything so much sweeter!! Loved seeing the kids as young ones 🙂

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  9. Congratulations! What a wonderful addition to the family, and not just for you and the kids, but for their children as well. What a generous man it was to sell it to you after all.

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  10. Amazing! I’ve never commented on your blog before, but I was moved to tears by this post. What a wonderful blessing that you can continue to be stewards of this tree.

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  12. Absolutely wonderful that you will be able to hold onto this land and continue enjoying it. And thanks to the builder for passing it on without profit. Happy Thanksgiving! (sjn821 on Rav)

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  23. I am saving this story of thanks and giving to share around our table. How wonderful that builder has been blessed and is wise to share in the giving. And possibly your husband as well.
    Great little chapter to your story.

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  30. Oh that is so lovely! I feel slightly tearful. I was all ready to suggest you did a small things fundraiser to help you purchase the land! I do so enjoy your blog.

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  32. I can’t help but think of “The Giving Tree” right now! This makes me so happy for you and your family! What a wonderful Thanksgiving blessing!

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  34. What a beautiful story. I love happy endings…and beginnings.

    When we lost a maple in our yard to a wind storm, my then seven-year-old son sobbed at the loss. I shed tears too. So, yeah, I get it.

    Congrats!

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  37. Ginny & Family,

    I couldn’t be more excited for you! Actually have tears in my eyes!!! Thank God you found a builder with a sense of honor who was willing to sell this land to you guys!!! I love seeing your pictures, they are so beautiful!!

    God bless you all & Happy Thanksgiving!!!

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  40. Congratulations! I know this has been a long time coming. Maybe one day your children will own that same land…to be passed on through the “limbs” of your family:)

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  45. Congratulations. I think you did a wonderful thing to protect the tree and the lot. And the earth thanks you. You did the right thing and it was a profound lesson for your children.

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  46. Oh how lovely! What a wonderful tale to hear this morning. (I think I would have cried as well if you hadn’t gotten the land to protect your grandfather oak!) Congratulations!

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  48. Ginny, we live in MI, and so much of the original forest is gone….when we moved up here, we immediately noticed how there weren’t many old growth trees. It was finally pointed out to us that all of the old growth had been lumbered. So…we have lots of trees, but not many beautiful old mature trees like your oak. There is a virgin forest that is a state park, and we were in heaven when we visited a year ago…it was magical. I’m so glad you have the acreage, indeed, a blessing!!

    Reply

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