The Singing Trees

by Boo Walker

“The point is that God will help lift you up, but you have to take the first step.”

It was so easy to have dreams, but to actually make them happen wasn’t always possible.

Annalisa smiled at her grandmother’s defiance as if she were looking in the mirror. “I’m

Of course, Annalisa knew painting was cathartic—that

end of July, painting for two hours as her students watched with mesmerized eyes. Annalisa thought it one of the most beautiful

One of the many lessons that Walt had taught Annalisa about time was that not all seconds were equal. Some lasted longer than others.

Love wasn’t a potion you drank to distract yourself from reality. Love was the key to living a life that mattered.

so eager to tell him what she’d discovered. “Life’s just too short, isn’t it? Forget all the things that could go wrong. I’d rather get them all wrong with you than all right without you.”

the two newly engaged lovers strolled along the sand, Annalisa accepted that they might never have a smooth ride. There would always be things like Vietnam and his family, but so be it. The alternative of not having him was worse. No matter what got in the way, nothing could stop the two of them from living out their lives together. All they had to do was have faith, because some things were as sure as the stars.

on the way home. Annalisa took Sharon’s wise words about “living and loving” to heart. Sure, painting as much as possible was the key to getting better, but living as much as possible was the secret to making true art.

“Annalisa,” he said gently, his eyes on Celia, “I’ve managed to run a watch shop for forty years—and most of it without you. I can figure it out. Look what you’ve done here. You’ve breathed new life into this place . . . and brought me new customers.” He touched his chest and coughed some. “You’ve breathed new life into me despite these damn lungs.”

“Just take care of the two of you. Whatever that requires. Don’t look back. You’ve done more for me than you’ll ever know. You’ve become like a daughter to me.”

He reached for Celia’s foot, her little white slipper. “Don’t feel defeated. Life throws curveballs.” He shook the foot. “This is one beautiful curveball.”

“I have no doubt that you’ll be a wonderful mother, but I suppose parenting is no different than anything else. It takes a little practice. Try it on for a while and see what happens.”

Nonna let out a subtle smile. “You young ones think it’s all supposed to be sorted out, that there are answers out there. I’m not sure there are. Quit trying to decide what the rest of your life will look like. Embrace these moments. You have plenty of time to learn how to be a good mother.”

She’d decided that nothing about life was easy, and sometimes it gets the best of us. No matter what, it wasn’t worth holding on to anger.

The more people you loved, the more goodbyes you had to endure.

And yet Annalisa realized in the hours after losing Walt that all the pain that came with loving was absolutely worth it. What was the point of living if you spent it in fear? What was the point of life without love?

Annalisa’s mind was a wild storm,

lifting up her thoughts and slinging them around like a hurricane snatches up and tosses cars.