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It was probably around 1974 or 1975 that I first read the book,
The
Giving Tree
, by Shel Silverstein. I worked in The Satellite Beach Public Library
back then, which to me was tantamount to making daily visits to
one of the rooms of Heaven. I love books – both reading them and
discussing them with others. It is a love that was instilled in
me from an early age by a mother that taught us to read long before
we learned to do much of anything else.
Although The Giving Tree
is considered a children’s book, like many of Silverstein’s
books, it has a powerful message for people of all ages. The message
is about unconditional, lasting love and it is depicted through
the relationship of a young boy and a tree.
I’m sure when I first discovered the book, I took it home to share it with my mother. She loved books as much as I did, and the message was one that I knew she would appreciate.
My mother, Ruth Lay Stabler, passed away on September 7, 2009.
During the last ten years of her life, although her mind was slowly
slipping away, she was still my constant giving tree. During those
final years, I learned more about love and kindness and the power
of laughter and the importance of appreciating each moment of love
than I have ever learned before. Like the tree in Silverstein’s
book, she was my Giving Tree, teaching powerful lessons up until
the end.
On October 13, 2009, Lou Poulos Landscaping of Malabar, Florida
is very generously donating and planting a large oak tree in memory
of my mother in Gleason Park in Indian Harbour Beach, Florida.
I wish that there was a way for me to encourage every person that
sees mom's tree to read the book and appreciate its lessons. I wish
I could just put a bench beneath the tree and always have the book
there to encourage others to read it and absorb its wonderful story
of lasting love. But of course, I can’t.
If you haven’t read The Giving Tree
yet, I encourage you to do so. Why not check it
out from your local library, and find a good tree to sit beneath
and give it a read. I think it will make the tree very happy.
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