Oak Tree in an Acorn: Midsummer Day's Dream

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Midsummer Day's Dream

Olivia participated in a language research study at UT today, and since we were in Austin we took the opportunity to explore beautiful Mayfield Park. Brian and I visited this park several times when we were dating and also had our engagement photos taken here, but we had not been back since our marriage. The park is naturally beautiful and the grounds feel magical; the ponds remind me of some of my favorite childhood fairytales such as Thumbelina. We had a little picnic, and the girls invited the squirrels, peacocks, bluejays, and grackles to join us. We headed home with smiles on our faces (and sweat on our brows). We will return once the temperatures become milder...100 degrees F today with a heat index of 105! Can you imagine why we almost had the place to ourselves?

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Why the title, "Oak Tree in an Acorn"?

Well, really it's all about perspective when raising the girls. It helps me to think about the grand scheme of parenting and remember that what we do now affects how our little acorns will grow. Like an oak tree, we want them to be strong in their words and deeds, be able to withstand life's storms, set and reach their goals, and be people that others can lean on and trust.

We have an oak tree planted in our yard that came from an acorn my dad planted in a pot. This acorn came from a huge oak tree that was planted in the backyard of my dad's childhood home. My dad's father also planted this tree from an acorn he found on his hunting lease in the early 1960's. Our tree is thus a family heirloom, a "family tree".

It was the year of Olivia's birth when we planted our little sapling. It looked so very sad that winter with no leaves; it was, basically, like a stick rooted in the ground. Five years later, though, it stands 9 feet tall, and we continue to nurture it and watch it grow. We hope one year it will produce acorns of its own, and we can continue to pass on this family heirloom. We hope to remember it's example of how each acorn has the potential to be an oak tree, and how our acorns, Olivia and Genevieve, will one day, with help from God, become mighty oak trees themselves.