my father is a spreading tree
2010 January 1
my father is a spreading tree
and I and many others
live in his shade and branches
Note: I have had this line in my head for well over a year and have been able to do nothing with it. When it first came to me, I thought perhaps it would be the basis for some grand statement on the “thinginess” of fathers, on the reality of them, on the way a father or a mother both take up and make space in the world around them, the way they give shape and meaning to the very worlds we live in. I still want to write that statement, but I also want to put these words on a page somewhere. Maybe they will germinate and something better will grow up from them.
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Email me when you finish the "grand statement". I miss all you guys at Hope.
Will do (if it ever happens)… What are the odds of us seeing you again anytime soon?
They're very good, actually.
I'm musing over this. Thoughts that came to mind …
good fathers like "good" trees have strong branches (strength for their families) and lots of good shade (beneficial for enjoyment, safety spread for their families)
also I think of the righteous running to the Lord and finding safety…I know this is in line with the name of the Lord and a strong tower, but still it came to mind re: the tree thing.
From what you wrote, I really loved this: "the way a father or a mother both take up and make space in the world around them, the way they give shape and meaning to the very worlds we live in. "