Giving Tree

It’s funny how your point of view can change over time. When I was a youngin’, my favorite book in the world was Shel Silverstiens’ “The Giving Tree.” I just thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I wanted to be that boy, and I wanted that tree. He had a best friend, and one that would play whatever games he wanted. Then I became an uncle at 15, so when I was 16 I got my baby niece a copy of “The Giving Tree.” I didn’t realize it at the time, but obviously I wasn’t seeing the world through the eyes of a toddler any more. Most teenagers are angry and confused, but I was probably a little angrier than most at that age. So re-reading it to my niece, I began to see it as a story about being taken advantage of. That tree loved the boy unconditionally, and the boy just took advantage of the love and loyalty. He literally left the tree with nothing left to give, and nothing in return.

Now I’m a parent, and last year I got a copy for the Kyd. I hadn’t read it with her till last night, and once again, my interpretation has been turned upside down. Now I see the tree as a parent. And the boy is its child, and no one’s being taken advantage of. The tree, like any good parent, is just doing the best it can do to provide for its child. The boy wants to play, the tree gives him a safe place to play. The boy wants to rest, and he can rest with the tree. He needs money, and the tree provides him with work. Sounds just like my dad. But it isn’t just work, it’s a chance, a chance to provide for himself, a chance to make his own way. And when the boy gets older and is ready to move on, the tree makes that possible. Then the boy is a man, and every man still needs his parents. We need them for rest, for peace, for a safe place to go and to always remember where we come from.