The Giving Tree

Readers of The Giving Tree can interpret the tree as a symbol of selfless love or a boy who can’t stop taking from it and is even downright abusive.

There is a lot of room for interpretation. But I think the part that gets overlooked is that even a stump has significance. And I believe in every stage of life, each of us has something to give.

I was at the grocery store, and this older lady was talking with my kids trying to give them a smile. And she said how much children bring her joy, it is the bright spot of her day, and that she wished her grandchildren visited her. I couldn’t help but think about that tree. How that tree would give anything to feel loved, to be needed, to live with significance.