The Oak Tree

We had a huge old oak tree in our backyard that shaded the whole yard in the summer and provided huge piles of leaves in the fall. The limbs were massive so Daddy built us a wooden swing on one side and a tire swing on the other side.  The tire swing was on the side that had a sloping hill on it and you could run and jump on and soar through the air.  The wood swing was just a piece of wood with a very thick cable on each end and talk about going high, you could almost touch the treetop and the stars in it.  I remember Daddy pushing me and then he would hold me up over his head and let go and I would fly so high and had tickly butterflies in my stomach when I came back down.  It was the best!  The tire swing was lots of fun too, it was my dance partner and I would climb on top and spin around in circles until I was so dizzy.  Whenever other kids came over to play they loved those swings too.  It was way better than any swing set ever made! We played with our toys and match box cars in the cool shade under there.  We had a nice patio made of granite pieces that we helped Daddy to make under the tree and had a picnic table and entertained a lot when family and friends came over.  We spent many hot summer days and evenings out there under that huge tree, it was a landmark.  Before Daddy got sick the tree started dying and they had a the limbs cut out of the top but it never was the same.  That old tree is gone now, only a huge stump is left where it proudly stood and sheltered us all those years.  It just isn't the same without it there and it makes me sad. It was like him and Daddy were gone around the same time and it breaks my heart but the memories made are forever.