Last spring I noticed that the new little dogwood that we had planted the year before was blooming. It reminded me of the beautiful red bud tree we had in our backyard at our house in Prairie Village. I was teaching 4th grade many years ago and the students received free trees from the Missouri Conservation Department. At the end of the day three little trees were left. They looked dead, but I wrapped them in damp paper towels and brought them home. David and Katie planted the little trees together next to our patio. We didn’t think they would live, but the next spring they sprouted leaves and even some blooms. The trees grew together and created one large beautiful tree that shaded our deck and continued to amaze us with gorgeous blooms each spring.
Remembering this tree sparked an idea for a book – The Little Tree. The story is not only about planting a tree, but the difficulties children have when their parents divorce and having two homes. It’s loosely based on David and his daughter Katie and to a small extent my granddaughters Clara and Lily. It’s told through the view point of the child and what she experiences. I’m working on revisions and plan to send it to a few publishers in the next couple of months.
Lou and David Sears 