The tree of life

CEBU, Philippines - There was once a little boy who used to play every day around the apple tree. He loved the tree very much and the tree loved him in return. He climbed to the top of the branches, ate the apples, attached a rubber wheel to a branch to make a swing, and slept under tree's shade.

As time went by, the little boy grew up and he lost interest in the tree. One day, the boy visited the tree and frowned. The tree didn't understand what the problem was, and didn't know what to do.

"Hey kid, come play with me," the tree invited the boy.

"I am no longer a little kid! I don't play around with the trees anymore. I want toys! And I need money so that I can buy toys," the boy cried.

"I'm so sorry, kid; I don't have any money," the tree replied in a soft voice. "But you can pick all of my apples if you want, and sell them in the market so you can earn and have money!"

The boy got excited with what the tree said. He grabbed all the apples and happily left at once. The tree waited for the boy to come back. But he never came back, and the tree became so sad.

Many years went by and the boy, who was now a grown man, returned. The tree was ecstatic upon seeing the young man. The tree still recognized the boy in him despite the changes in his appearance.

"You're all grown up, friend! Come play with me!" the tree exclaimed.

"I don't have time to play. I am very busy and I have to work for my family. We need a house for shelter. Can you help me?" the man asked.

"Sorry, I don't have a house, either. But you can cut off my branches to build your house," the tree replied.

So the man cut the branches of the tree and left happily. The tree was so glad seeing him very happy. The tree waited for the man to return but, again, he never came back. The tree became sad and lonely again.

One sunny day, after a very long time, the man returned. The tree was happy to see him. "Come play with me!" the tree called out.

"Nah... I am too old to play around with trees. I want to go sailing and relax myself. I need a boat. Can you help me?" said the man.

"Oh I see! You can use my trunk to build your boat and sail to a place where you can relax" said the tree.

And so the man cut the trunk of the tree to build his boat. Then, when the boat was ready, he sailed far away and never returned for a very long time.

Many years after, the man returned.

"I'm sorry but I don't have anything anymore to give you," the remaining stump that remained of the tree told the man. "I have no more branches for you to climb and no more apples you can eat," the tree said sadly.

"No problem," the man smiled, "I'm now too old to climb and I my teeth are too weak to bite into an apple."

Tears began welling up in the tree's eyes. "I want to make you happy again like when you were still a little boy," the tree declared. "But I really can't give you anything anymore; all that's left of me are my dying roots."

"It's okay," the man replied, "I don't need much now, just a place to rest. I am old and I'm already tired after all these years."

"Good! Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest! Come sit and take a rest."

Slowly the weakening man sat down and the tree was very happy, eyes filled with tears of joy.

The moral of the story: The tree is like our parents. When we are still young, we love to play around with them, but as we grow up we begin to disrespect them and turn unkind to them. As grownups we only come to our parents when we need something or when we are in trouble. We tend to forget the sacrifices they've done for us. We take them for granted - until it's too late. Let us treat our parents well for we'll never fully understand their feelings for us until we become parents ourselves.