the shrub that should be a tree

In the Garden Center of Home Depot, where I work, there is this tree (it's more of a shrub right now but it will be a tree) that was dying for the longest time. It is on the edge of all the other trees of its same type and unfortunately it was neglected for too long. All of the employees walk past it everyday and pay no attention to the dying tree that sits on the edge of the shelf in the heat, where it is never watered. The leaves have all fallen except for one branch that still remains green but the soil is dry and the other branches are brittle and burned. We, including myself, thought it was a lost cause to care for the tree that has been overlooked for months. It held on for as long as it could watching as we all walked past with buckets of water, plant food, fertilizer, and water hoses that spew water all over the concrete. It watched as we watered its peers and then looked at its brown body in disgust and awaited the day it would be thrown in the garbage for being completely dead. Holding on with its one live branch and roots in the dry dirt in the container that confined the plant to its personal hell, waiting for someone to even wish it well.

As I was watering one day I looked at this shrub that should be a tree and looked at it and looked at it and looked at it. I thought about how it must feel to be that tree sitting there being burned slowly alive and no one cares, everyone walks by waiting for you to die so they can throw you away. (The plant distributors will not allow us to throw away plants unless they are completely dead) The more I thought about it the more I realized that I treat people the very same way we all treated this shrub that should be a tree. I walk past people who need me, who need just someone to care; someone to just listen to them and bring them out of the heat and save them from their personal hell they are contained in and cannot get out by themselves. I see these people, they are acquaintances, strangers, and friends who just want someone to give them advice, tell them they aren't alone, to pull them into the shade and water them. Just like the shrub that should be a tree there are people who should be my friend and I don't allow that. I hold onto friends who never really needed any watering or care, and I kept the shrub out of the range of the sprinkler just like I keep people out of my heart, I break them down and slowly kill them (emotionally) to where they don't want to be my friend they are waiting to be thrown away. They hold on for months and years and sit on the edge of my heart and I do nothing, I walk past them and invest in friends who are fine. These people wait for me to stop and look at them and look at them and look at them and realize that I could help them through what they are contained in, I could bring them into the shade and water them. I could care for them and let these people turn into friends like they should be. I'm going to care for them, it's what God created me to do.

The shrub that should be a tree has now been put in the shade and watered not only by sprinklers, but is also hand watered everyday that I work. It has been placed in the center of all of its tree friends and so far looks like it is going to make a recovery.

we all need friends

A friend, that is what you need,
someone who listens, sheds skin,
anyone who is there to be there
not somebody ready to recieve,
but somebody like a pool of water
that you can indulge in,
water doesn't talk back, it listens,
like a friend,

you need someone you can jump into
for shelter, to cool down, to listn to you,
a pool of water to ripple, splash, dive,
to keep you afloat, to make you light, and boyant
you need a pool of water
not to drink but to listen,
to cover you in liquid,
shower you and cleanse you,
to befriend you,

you need a friend like a pool of water



(not directed at anyone just think that everyone could use a friend like this)