My Favorite Tree

This gorgeous specimen of a Japanese Red Maple has graced the entryway of my parents' house since I was a very small child. When I was school aged, the tree always reminded me of a textbook illustration in a science book depicting phototropism, the growth of a plant towards sunlight. I have watched it grow for my entire life, and it just becomes more stunning and remarkable every year. This fall we were in Arkansas shortly after the maple's foliage was at its peak. I snapped some pictures, and must get better ones once we get around to buying a nicer camera.

Doesn't the house look as if it has sprouted fantastic plumage to attract a mate; or else it is shooting vibrant, unruly flames from deep in its bowels? I love how it fills up the whole dining room window from the inside.

If you asked me if I had a favorite tree in the whole world, I guess this would be it-- for its beauty and its place in my home, a house that will always be my home. The tree reminds me of what that home has meant to me throughout my life-- something that is bursting with life, color, energy, warmth, and beauty.