When the world is in flux, there is always calm in the rhythm of the natural world.
That's one of the intangibles that you send your giftees when you give them a tree.
Especially with deciduous trees, there is the tenuous arc of fall to spring -- only a leap
of faith will convince you that this seemingly lifeless tangle of sticks will leaf out again
in full glory. Then its fragrant flowers whisper of the harvest to come. Tiny fruits survive
pests, storms, and your occasional benign neglect. And then one day you walk out and pull
an apple off the tree. It snaps when you take a bite and juice runs down your chin. It's
sweet but also tangy, crisp but not too hard. It smells as great as it tastes and you wonder
who needs the farmers market. And for a few minutes, the world is calm.
