Dear Reader:

Oh…if the tree house behind the moon gate garden could talk…it would regale us with all its tales of children and their antics growing up within it. It was a club house, a play house, a pirate’s den…but most importantly it was a place to go to when one needed to be alone and think through life’s problems, choices, and decisions.

I actually climbed up the rickety ladder to the top yesterday to take some photos for the blog…I had forgotten how beautiful it was from high up…. I couldn’t see any of the mold on the side boards of the house or trim or bumps in the roof or cracks in the bricks…the old house looked quite stately from this perspective.

The trees were swaying in the early morning breezes, the birds were singing, squirrels scampered along the old oak tree’s long branches…the fountain gurgled…distant sounds of cars could be heard going by on 17-A and children’s laughter echoed with the freedom of summer.

Memories came flooding back of incidences occurring in the tree house and the surrounding oak tree when it was my own children’s voices shouting in excitement from its interior.

One story involved a broken arm when Walsh tried to jump from the tree house to the large old oak branch in front of it (see photo) and unfortunately missed.

It also became a haven from poor report cards, trouble at school, losses on the football field or baseball diamond or golf course.

If I couldn’t find any one of the children…I always knew where to look first…the tree house. This was also true of their friends…when they got in trouble…the tree house became the secret refuge to go to….

Just like the deck gave me the perspective I needed to “see” the garden unveiling…a tree house provides a whole new look at the world….from high up our problems suddenly don’t seem to loom as largely as they did on the ground.

Everyone needs to experience that perspective…especially children. This brings me to a true story about a tree house and a special little boy that experienced that same elation through the revelation of seeing the world differently.

Source: “A Tree House for Everyone” (Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul-Maureen Heffernan)

At the Cleveland Botanical Gardens the decision was made to build a half-acre garden for children. The project organizers decided to involve the children in the planning and design… so on February 4, 1996…more than a 100 parents, grandparents, and children arrived.

Butcher paper was spread out on the floor and crayons were distributed to each child. They were told to draw their fantasy garden.

A beautiful colorful mural began to take form….filled with “apple trees, streams, grape arbors, pumpkin patches, boulders, scarecrows, corn, crazy quilts of flowers, black bears, deer, raccoons, rabbits, watermelons, rainbows, ponds, forts, sunflowers, acorns, tomatoes, etc.” 

The children were still hard at work when a small eight-year old boy, named Alan, arrived. He had cerebral palsy and was strapped to his wheelchair. His mother apologized for the tardiness but said that Alan really wanted to share his idea for the garden.

He was wheeled over to a table and given a piece of the butcher paper and crayons. When it came time for each child to share his picture/idea Alan’s mother held up his drawing while he told about it. He had drawn a very tall tree with a tree house sitting at the tip top. Sitting proudly and smiling, inside the tree house, was a boy in a wheelchair looking down over the garden.

The title of his drawing was “A Tree House for Everyone.”

Everyone applauded, as well as the project builders…but after everyone left…concern set in…how to get a little boy in a wheelchair up to the top of a tree house. They were working on a very tight budget.

Three years passed…and the day finally arrived…the grand opening of the children’s garden. No one seemed to notice a boy in a wheelchair fidgeting in excitement as the ribbon was cut and the dignitaries all spoke.

When the doors finally opened…the vast majority of children raced to the large water fountain…designed for the children to play in and get wet.

Alan, in his own motorized wheelchair, began climbing a special ramp that had been built…his smile growing bigger the higher he went.

One of the designers, Deborah, who had fought hard for the added expense of the ramp to the tree house, was there when he arrived. He looked over the railing and shouted loudly and proudly downward at the crowd…”This was my idea!”

One child’s dream had come true because someone cared enough to include everyone in a tree house for everyone.

………………………..

So until tomorrow…Let us never exclude anyone from experiencing the sheer joy of special moments in life.

“Today is my favorite day”  Winnie the Pooh

*Yesterday we talked about the important “A Q” (Adversity Quotient) level in our lives. Anne sent me this picture of the “Boo’s Garden” mason jar of flowers I gave her over a week ago…she said these flowers must have a high level of “A Q” too because they are all still blooming brightly!

* Here are some other “pretties” blooming in the garden…and I also had two more “Lucies” bloom (as I am now calling my moon flower blooms) on the front porch last evening.

First day home (summer vacation) for Mandy and the children….Mandy had some time to take photos of Jakie before his afternoon nap….so cute!

* Betsy, Libby’s daughter, is back for more tests today…this time checking  her liver/parathyroid/thyroid trying to find an origin or catalyst for Betsy’s recent health problems.

Another Erskine gal….Libby’s sister-in-law Scotty’s son, Douglas, is having major surgery today also to improve his quality of life.

All thoughts and prayers would be appreciated as the family prays for the improved health of both of these precious young people.