There was an oak tree here once. You wouldn’t remember it because you hadn’t been by here when its roots held firmly in the ground there by your feet, when its trunk invited the young to admire and to climb, and when its branches gracefully and dependably protected us from the intense heat of the midday sun. A beautiful tree ... not, perhaps, a model tree or a flashy display tree ... but one of de...
It was one of those gorgeous spring days. There were daffodils blooming, tulip trees bursting out in color, a warm sun, and a clear blue sky. One felt like singing that descriptive song from the musical Oklahoma, "Oh, what a beautiful morning! Oh, what a beautiful day."
Then I picked up the morning newspaper and the first sentence in the article cautioned me not to read it unless I had a strong s...
