Wishtree

by Katherine Applegate

Red oaks are one of the most common trees in North America.

My, oh my, the things I have heard:

I wish I knew what to wish for.

What would you wish for

People speak with the help of lungs, throats, voice boxes, tongues, and lips, thanks to an intricate symphony of sound and breath and movement. But there are plenty of other ways to convey information. An eyebrow cocked, a giggle stifled, a tear brushed aside: These, too, are ways you express yourself.

I’m not just a tree, by the way. I’m a home. A community. Folks nest on my branches. Burrow between my roots. Lay eggs on my leaves. And then there are my hollows. Tree hollows—holes in a trunk or branch—are not uncommon, especially in trees like me who’ve been around awhile. Hollows can be small enough for tiny salt-and-pepper chickadees or a family of deer mice. Or they can be quite large, big enough for an open-minded bear.

Hollows are proof that something bad can become something good with enough time and care and hope.

Making others feel safe is a fine way to spend your days.

Animals compete for resources, just like humans. They eat one another. They fight for dominance. Nature is not always pretty or fair or kind. But sometimes surprises happen. And Samar, every spring night, reminded me there is beauty in stillness and grace in acceptance. And that you’re never too old to be surprised.

Only one percent of a fully grown tree is actually alive at any one time.

It is a great gift indeed to love who you are.

Different languages, different food, different customs. That’s our neighborhood: wild and tangled and colorful. Like the best kind of garden.

crepuscular.”

Crepuscular creatures, like fireflies, bats, and deer, are especially active at dusk and dawn.

All skunks name themselves after pleasant scents. I am not sure if this is because they’re a bit defensive about their reputation, or if they just have a sly sense of humor.

Barn owls give themselves sensible, no-fuss names.

“I’m sure things will be fine,” I said. “I’ve seen a lot in my years. The things I’ve fretted about that have never come to pass! I could write a book.” I paused. “In fact, I could be a book.” I paused again. “Because, you know … paper is made of trees.”

But that is how it is when you love life. And I could accept that if my time had come, it had come. After a life as fine as mine, who was I to complain?

(Raccoon mothers are notoriously forgetful, so they don’t bother with traditional names.)

In the sweet calm, surrounded by everything I loved—moonlight, air, grass, animals, earth, people—I wondered, with a pang, how much longer I would be able to savor such moments. I wondered, too, if I’d done enough for the world I loved. It was something I’d asked myself before. But impending death has a way of focusing your attention.

Opossums name themselves after things they fear.

It frustrated me to see my residents, the ones who’d miraculously been getting along so well, turn on one another when faced with a problem.

friendship doesn’t have to be hard. That sometimes we let the world make it hard.

(All squirrel names begin with the letters S-Q-U.)

Maeve named the baby Amadora, which meant, in Italian, “the gift of love.”

But people are full of longings, and decade after decade, the hopes kept coming. A blessing and a burden it has been, all those wishes, all those years. But everyone needs to hope.

“You did it, my Wise Old Tree, because you had a story to tell.” “It was foolish,” I said. “I’m not supposed to be foolish.” “Not so foolish,” Bongo said. “Just hopeful. And everyone needs to hope, Red. Even Wise Old Trees.”

Ten Ways a Tree Is Like a Story by Red AGE: 216 rings SPECIES: Quercus rubra (aka “Northern Red Oak”) ADDRESS: not far from the elementary school—you know the one CURRENT TENANTS: owls, raccoons, opossums, and a crow named “Bongo” 1. We give you a whole new perspective on the world. 2. We plant seeds that can grow into big things. 3. We show you how to reach for the sky. 4. We help clear the air. 5. We are even better when shared with friends. 6. We don’t require Wi-Fi. 7. We serve as a refuge whenever you need us. 8. We laugh at boundaries and bring down walls. 9. We make the world a more welcoming place. 10. We have wisdom to share, if you’re willing to listen.