‘The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit. ‘-Nelson Henderson
Greetings! I hope your week is going well! The photo is of Tony and I, taken today. Tony is the sweet gum tree I almost discarded as a weed three years ago, because he had sprouted in the flower bed. He was teeny then, maybe a foot tall and he had just about a dozen leaves.
“Look at this little tree,” I told myself,”It wants to live.” “Stop being silly,” Self answered, “You can’t let a tree grow in the flower bed. Pull it up. Don’t think about it.” But I did think about it, so I got a shovel and transplanted it to the front yard, where it looked lost and pitiful.
I put various protective things around Tony-I think he spent a whole year with a lawn chair straddling him. I remembered the quote about planting a tree in whose shade I would never sit and that was fine-someone would sit in it, someone I would never meet, someone who would never know I planted and tended Tony. But I would know.
Dear Someone-here is my gift to you, Tony the sweet gum tree.
But surprise, surprise, Tony has grown, well, like a weed. He is now way taller than I and I actually could sit in his shade. Since trees suck up great quantities of CO2 and spit out 0xygen, Tony is also working on that global warming thing.
Win-win. 🙂
Welcome Travelers... 
Do not mean to be picky – but correct grammar is “The photo is of Tony and me”. I enjoy your words and thoughts, recognizing that there are so many more who join me in this. You have influence over many, and I know you would want their perception of you as a strong, thoughtful, scholarly woman to be reflected in the words. A simple test is “The photo is of me.” take out the other name and see how the pronoun sounds. Can you tell I am a teacher, and can’t help self when it comes to grammar? Hope you know this is sent in friendship and admiration for your above story.