TEENS & TREES! SAPPY THROUGH THE BARK!

“TEENS & TREES! SAPPY THROUGH THE BARK!” What? Well, I walked outside to check the weather and see my girl off to school. She doesn’t really know I sneak out in my PJ’s after she goes up the bus steps and I watch them go off. It’s one of the last few months I will see her leaf for the bus. As she is a senior. I was looking at our big Norfolk Pine at the same time. I was allowing myself to come to this realization for just a moment before I tuck it back in my head behind all the other stuff. A senior moment! Anyways, I saw sap dripping from the trunk all around the dry bark and was thinking maybe she was watching her young’uns branch out, too. PIMP LOL. Got me thinking… We are def like trees. Sappy and still protecting with our bark. Here’s some cool stuff about trees: The outer bark is the tree's protection from the outside world. Continually renewed from within. Sapwood is the tree's pipeline for water moving up to the leaves. Heartwood is the central, supporting pillar of the tree. It is bound by a chemical glue called lignin, it is in many ways as strong as steel. Like us as parents. We have that protective outer bark that is sometimes rough. And, sometimes the bark finds it’s ways to our mouths. Or theirs! But, we have to protect. Though, we should allow some sap to drip out. Then, our desire to see them grow comes from our Sapwood, and we feed them in all ways. Then, Heartwood, our faith, is our foundation to teach them to stand firm. We are bound by a glue of love that is strong as steel. Even a tree knows to reach toward the sun. So, we teach our kids these things from looking at God’s trees and we desire to make the most of our time together before they branch out and the time flies off in the wind. We teach them to always, tree-t others right. We can’t guarantee them that they’ll have it made in the shade by doing the right thing, but it will leaf them with a nice sappy feeling, help them grow and build their faith strong as steel. Which is most important of all to me. To have that one-on-one with God. To allow theirselves to be sentimental sappy. Dripping with roots that run deep. We are here to grow and stand strong in the winds of life, with them! Bending and sapping! I mean, bending, not snapping. PIMP LOL. I’m going out on a limb here to say…umm…yes, I am feeling a little sappy about my girl. Now, I know every parent with teens knows that relationships aren’t always easy, but we only them at home for a li’l while. Not saying we or they will have it made in the shade if we follow these thoughts, but if we actually take some time to sit with them in the shade under a tree, now THAT speaks louder than words. Okay, enough sap! Have a tree-mendously wonderful day. Talk to your kids. Bend, don’t snap! It’s okay to show some sap through the bark. Dig deep to give them some roots! Mostly, though? Just let them see your heartwood ya! Mama Trace