Spirit Of The Walnut Tree

We had a huge one growing in our back yard when I was a teen.

We’d gather all the nut packets as they fell: the once green and plump outer skin now blacken-shriveled and yielding the hard-shell encased goodness within upon cracking.

I have always felt this type of nut tree to be a bit magical…protective and nourishing, as if an emissary from the Spirit of Mother Earth.

I was given a seedling one by my mother-in-law a few years ago, which I took as good fortune and dearly appreciated.

I later chose to give it to the man who helped us survive on the mountain, as I gave him most of our fruit-bearing plants and trees, as well as some of our first and favorite chickens when we were moving.

He’d always presented as rough and jaded with the world, and it melted my heart with prideful joy to see him treat these gifts tenderly.

I didn’t want to let the brave seedling go, but it had already weathered a rough journey.

We took it as a good sign when we found our current rental that there is a huge walnut tree just outside our back living room window.

I noticed yesterday a small, eleganty-leaved plant growing in the grassy walkway outside our dog pen where the area gets mowed weekly.

I thought it might be a rose from seeds sprouted where I had hosted ours temporarily.

But No!

It”s a seedling walnut from the mother tree!

I will be digging it up to save it from the choppers and to carry forward this felt harmony.