Sumac Tree And Other Things

“To this day, I have not forgotten how the sumac tree on the side of the road came and passed by so quickly and the roar of the dirt and rocks being thrown up against the car as we raced down the narrow lane.” The words I have quoted are from chapter 8 of Quintessential Redneck, a book I published in 2017. It was a memory from February 1967 when I rode in a car with my mom. We were trying to get help removing a post-hole digger on top of my father. He was deceased and still sitting behind the steering wheel of his tractor. I didn’t write that the little sumac tree was one of my favorite trees. I’m not attempting to retell the tragic story of my father’s untimely death. Instead, I am writing to reminisce about a sumac tree and other things.

I remember a quarter mile down our road, a small grove of sumacs was close to the fence. The biggest sumac tree was near the fence and about halfway between the house and the school bus stop. At certain times of the year, the leaves were full of color. When it rained, a pleasant aroma was in the air when I passed the tree. I enjoyed walking past these trees that were barely bigger than bushes. So, I have good and bad memories about sumac trees.

The featured photo in this blog is of a sumac tree near where I presently walk my dog. My daily gaze at the tree reminds me of the sumac tree of my youth. The tree of my youth seems like an anchor point securing my ephemeral thoughts from escaping my decades-old memories. Thoughts of past experiences seem innocuous, and I suppose most of the time, they are.

a sumac tree and other things

I remind you that I am writing to reminisce about a sumac tree and other things. Well, the other things are our thoughts. Hebrews 4:12 reveals that the word of God is alive and active. “Sharper than any two edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”