Almost five years ago I was sitting in
our cute little coastal home in Nipomo, Ca. Just numb with emotion. Wondering
if I was ready for such a big move. Wondering if I would ever learn the
language, wondering what my kids would miss out on, I wondered about the
medical care and if my kids would ever be in serious danger. It was just after
we had our final garage sale, we had nothing but a few packed suitcases. Morgan
and I sat on the carpeted floor in our empty home. I lost it, I started to cry,
I was so sad to say goodbye to all I knew. I was sad to say goodbye to the home
I raised by babies in. I was sad to leave my family and take my kids so far
away. I cried and Morgan cried too. It was hard, it was emotional.
I felt like I was uprooting this tree from the
middle of an orchard. The orchard had old oak trees that have been there for
generations, trees that have been so rooted, nothing could blow it down. The
support around was strong, comfortable and peaceful. Then it was time to prepare
for a transplant. It hurt to prune, and get rid of parts I thought were apart
of me. It hurt to dig up the roots
that were so tangled in with other trees, and some roots were so so deep. I
knew I was in a process of transplanting my tree to another land. It was going
to take time for my tree to take root, to find its water, to find other trees
to root with, to stand with. The transplanting process was crucial, its either
going to survive or not. Only time will tell.
During the first year my tree knew it was in new
soil, it felt cold, dry, and lonely. It started to reach down for its water
source and found water. The roots began to deepen and leaves began to grow.
After time went by I knew the tree was going to survive, but then really how is
the tree? It had leaves, and now new sprouts. The roots felt more comfortable,
it wasn’t so cold anymore, and it felt like the soil became more familiar.
Other trees weren’t so far away and the roots began to touch. The trees around
were young, but still it felt similar to the old oak trees. Together the trees
could fight against the storm and weather. The seasons passed and the trees
became stronger, bigger, and deep-rooted. This tree has become a tree of the
land, not a transplant anymore but a fruiting tree. A tree with fruit and
branches that reached for the sky. This tree has survived the transplant. Its
now a new verity, it’s not like the others, its different, and that's ok. The
color of the flowers are different, but beautiful. Its roots underneath feel the
same as those around it. It stands in the weather and fights the storm along
with the others.
It’s still growing, and every once in while needs pruning, but
in the end, it’s still standing in an orchard.
