I watched you climb up a ladder

And saw a limb down 20 ft above your head.

I wanted to cry.

I’ve spent the past 3 days waking up next to you and sorting through boxes,

Inspecting all the seeds from my tree of life

Most of them just dead, some just a nuisance to the soil

The ones meant to sprout were already planted.

You can’t have a garden with seeds that don’t grow

And there’s never been a tree without a few dead branches

But sometimes you have to see and feel what it’s like to blossom, to flourish, to bloom

To realize some things you just have to let go of.

My tree of life has been growing for 26 years,

And after today,

My god, it’s more alive than ever.