Once there was a tree...

Last night, I read the boys one of my favorite books, "The Giving Tree", by Shell Silverstein. If you are not familiar with the book, it is the story of a boy and a tree. The book starts with the young boy being inseparable from the tree, but as time goes by, the boy outgrows the tree and only comes back to visit her when he wants something. The tree, although saddened by the boy's absence, finds great joy in making him happy by giving all that she can to insure his happiness–even at the expense of her own well being.

After the story, Liam asked me "Mom, what do you think that book means?"

I told him that I thought it was an analogy of being a parent. No matter how much time goes by, we will love our children unconditionally and give them anything we can in order to help them out and make them happy.

I finished tucking each boy in and Liam looked at me and said , "I think it means something different. I think, the book is trying to tell us that just when we think we have given all we can, we can always find a way to give more."

(Have I mentioned how smart my children are?)

In all of the years I have been reading that story, I have never, ever once thought of it from that perspective. I always read it and thought "look how much she gives!" and Liam read it and thought "look how much MORE she is capable of giving!" It really made me stop and think. A lot. Am I giving all that I can everyday? I know at the end of a very long day when I am tired, and cranky and confronted with all that still needs to be done, I certainly feel like I am. But have I really? Or am I merely giving out a slim ration of myself? The ration I am willing to part with?

With the beginning of this new year, I am promising to give more. And by "give more" I actually mean, be more in the present. Listen more. Laugh more. Give more of myself to the ones who really matter. The joy really is in the giving.

And the tree was happy.