My Mother's Magnolia Tree

When I was younger, about 13 or 14, my mother came home with a small magnolia tree to plant in the backyard. After planting it she stepped back proudly and said, “that tree will grow up to 60 feet high one day.”

“Wow, where do you think you’ll be when it gets that tall?” I asked.

She smiled and replied, “Probably six feet under.”

My parents and I moved out of that house way before the tree reached maturity. I left at the age of 25 to begin my own life in the DC area. My parents sold the house and moved a few years later.

I drove by the old house today. At first I couldn’t even remember the address. Was the house number 2015? No, it was 2053. That’s right, 2053 Rainier Ave.

The outside looked pretty good, the paint was lighter than what it used to be and I noticed a 10-foot privacy fence around the side. I drove around the block in hopes of getting a look at the backyard. The tiny stream that ran along the back edge of the property was still there and I spied a new deck off the family room.

There was also a new shed at the lower end of the yard and there to it’s left stood the tree. It towered above most of the other trees nearby and reminded me of the magnolia tree that sits in front of my own house today. I can’t say for sure if it was up to 60 feet tall yet, but it had to be close.

My mother? She’s still six feet above ground, and I’m quite happy about that.