Willow

Willow

I look out into my backyard which is two and a half stories down and I see a faded trampoline and right beside it is a pussy willow tree.  The tree is absolutely beautiful.  It was given to us by my dear friend Willow and her husband.  It had gotten really big in the 20 plus years since it had been planted there, the year my husband and I were married.   Though it had been pruned many times, we decided three years ago that it had to go.  Part of the trunk had split and was growing parallel to the ground. It seemed dangerous when my son tried to mow.  What a surprise to find that after chopping it down, it was still there the next year and still growing strong!  Such it is with a willow tree. It has a hardy root system and is nearly impossible to destroy.

Willow is just like that.  She is strong and dedicated and her roots run deep.  She is tenacious and loyal.  Once you are her friend, you are her friend for life. You can leave her, but she will not leave you. There are “friends for a reason, friends for a season and friends for life.”  She is a friend for life.

My first encounter with Willow was when she called me telling me that she was given my name by the school superintendent as a potential roommate.  I was a single teacher and so was she.  I had said to the superintendent in passing that I might want to live in the small town where I taught.   Little did I know that he would give my name to a new teacher.  

When I met her, she was very graceful, beautiful and a little shy.  I could not think that she would want to room with me; especially when I told her that I was getting very interested in religion.  How geeky was that!  I, honestly, did not think she would want to live with someone like me.  I tried really hard to talk her out of the arrangement, but she was determined and, as matter of fact, she too was interested in religion.   We both taught similar subjects and had remarkably a lot in common, as it turned out.

We were baptized on the same day and definitely felt that God had put us together.  We were in each other’s weddings and our families were very close.  Willow and I would spend lots of days hanging out with our kids in the summer when the guys were at work.  We would talk and talk.  Time just flew by when we were together.  Our time together always ended before we were ready.

I did not even know she read my blog when in the mail I received numerous little books about all of the subjects I had written about. She just knew I would like them. I was about to throw the package away when I found a pressed gardenia in the bottom.  It was a bit wilted, but the scent was perfect.  (I had just blogged about how much I loved pressed flowers and…the scent of a gardenia.) It is so like her to notice even the tiniest detail.   

This is another amazing quality that she has. She is an attentive listener. In today’s rat race, this is a rare quality.  She remembers the details of your life and makes you feel as if those details are as important as her own. 

Willow has many strong characteristics. Willow loves to read, travel and learn new things.  She is a wonderful mother, wife, teacher and friend.  She knows about all kinds of useful things.  She is thoughtful, artistic and creative.  Her loyalty, tenacity, faithfulness and all of her other amazing qualities go back to her Christian roots. I expect to enjoy my friendship with Willow and our willow tree as long as I live, because of… the roots.

Happy Birthday, Willow!