She said it sounded like a bomb going off in the house next door and evidently she wasn’t exaggerating since someone in the neighborhood called the police, prompting a visit from the local constabulary . . . a very short visit once they realized there was nothing they could actually do to be of assistance. Because it wasn’t a bomb.
It was a tree.
A tree with a trunk that measured 13 feet around (and that wasn’t at the widest point). A tree we estimated was closer to a minimum of 15 feet in circumference . . . which gave it a diameter of approximately 57.3248 inches . . . which meant that the tree, a Southern Red Oak, was approximately 229.3 years old. For the mathematically challenged, that means the tree was sprouting in 1794. That’s 18 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. And now it was lying on the driveway. And the tenant’s pick-up. And his work van. And the roof of his house. But not too much on the roof. The same could not be said for the pick-up and the van.
There was absolutely no indication this was about to happen. On the surface, the tree appeared to be healthy with evenly distributed branches and a full canopy of leaves. At least it would have been a few months earlier. The shortened days of fall had done their job and most of the leaves were on the ground rather than clinging to their host. But when you looked at the now exposed—and ginormous—base of the trunk you found . . . nothing.
The root system was completely gone. There was no support to ground the tree, to secure it to the earth from which it had sprung literal centuries before. There was no wind that night. There had been no significant rain in previous days. Yet still the tree had fallen . . . because there was nothing to hold it up.
There are a great many people in the world who are struggling to stay upright, just as that tree did. On the surface you won’t see it, even if you look closely. They will appear to be strong and capable of surviving. But deep beneath their exterior you’ll find nothing other than sheer willpower, if that. They have no true support system, no roots to help feed them and encourage them when their inner strength fails. And someday, when we least expect it, they’ll come crashing to the ground.
Those struggles can come at any time, but it seems the holiday season is the worst for dragging people into the depths of depression, whether it’s disguised as recent loss or simply overwhelming memories we long to recapture but cannot. If you’re someone who can enjoy the celebrations without also enduring the pain they can bring—or one who has a wonderful support system in place to help you through the holidays—please look around you. Everyone you come in contact with could be someone who is struggling, even when they seem to be fine. Looks can be deceiving and sometimes all it takes is a kind word or a smile, a simple gesture that says “I see you” or “I’m thinking about you” to make a world of difference. To help them renew their inner strength. Be grateful for those who are there for you . . . and pay if forward by being there for someone else. In this season of giving, please take every opportunity to give the most precious gifts of all—a little of your time . . . a little of your heart . . . a little of yourself.
About the author: Lisa Shackelford Thomas is a fourth-generation member of a family that’s been in funeral service since 1926 and has worked with Shackelford Funeral Directors in Savannah, Tennessee for over 45 years. Any opinions expressed here are hers and hers alone and may or may not reflect the opinions of other Shackelford family members or staff.
