The tree at the edge of Heaven

It was another trip to the airport and this time instead of myself flying off, it's our little boy along with his mommy. It's the first time for mommy taking our little almost five years old very energetic boy across the pacific to visit his gramps by themselves. The flight time alone is almost 19 hours long with the first stop in Narita, Japan then after a 3 hours lay-over their journey continues on a different flight for another 4 hours before they arrived in Hong kong. The first leg of the trip will take up to fourteen hours and Mommy is stuck with a very easily bored little boy. She had anxieties just thinking about this first fourteen hours. They will be stuck in tight quarters and she would have to come up with things to distract or entertain this little guy. Mommy was quite creative and directed me to wake up very early the day of the flight. I was in charge of getting our little boy tired so that he would be willing to sleep on the plane. On the day of the flight, I woke up at 5.30am and proceeded to wake our little boy up. It's 5.45am, our little boy still have not gotten up but nervous mommy sure did. Finally, I had to enticed him with yummy breakfast buritos at the local breakfast diner in order to get him to open his first eye. The second eye finally open when I mentioned hash browns and by the time I mentioned Chocolate Milk, he was already dress all by himself. After breakfast, we went to the park and play a little catch foorball. I play both quarterback and cornerback while he was the wide receiver. I threw him the ball then chased him down and tackle him.....He loves it! After several throws and tackles, he looked tired and I was almost dead! We went home to a shower and then we were off to the airport to catch the noon flight out.

Mommy had to make this trip because Grandpa was recently diagnosed with brain cancer. Fortunately the cancer was detected at a very early stage. He is expected to make a full recovery but couldn't escaped the rigors of a new form of Chemo Therapy. Mommy wanted to bring the eating machine little boy to Hong Kong to serve as comfort therapy. She wanted to cheer grandpa on during this month of daily chemo therapy treatments. Mommy even bought matching caps for the hairless grandpa and grandson.

Upon returning home, I found myself wondering around the empty hallways and rooms in our house. I went down to the kitchen to fix myself lunch and found a new kind of freedom I didn't have. I was able to eat anything I want. No one there to tell me this is not good for you or no one there to eat my food outright! I was all alone and loving it. For the first time in our seven-year marriage I was single again. I was by myself. The first day of being single quickly ended as the night fell. I was out like a zombie since I had to wake up so early and play tag football with my little boy.

I woke up the next day, ate my self-made breakfast and went to work. Normally, I would have a few phone calls throughout the day from either from my wife or my mischievous little son who loves to prank call daddy. I didn't get any phone calls and soon it was time to go home again. I got home and the hall ways were still empty. I didn't hear the clamoring voice of my son playing with the neighborhood kids or my wife asking me to do something. It was just me. Alone.

I haven't been single for more than seven years. I suddenly find myself with TIME. When I go home, I have to ask myself, what am i going to do....

In these moments of quiet time as I wondered through the noiseless hall ways of our home, I remembered reading to the little guy several months ago and it was the book titled the Giving Tree. The tree and the boy became best friends. The tree always provided the boy with what he wanted: branches to swing from, shade to sit under, apples to snack on, branches to build a house. As the boy grew older and older he required more and more of the tree. The tree loved the boy very much and gave him anything he asked for. In the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, the tree let the boy cut her down so the boy could build a boat in which he could sail across the vast sea. The boy left the tree, now a stump. Many years later, the boy, now an old man, returned and the tree said "I have nothing left to give you". The boy replied that all he needed was a quiet place to sit and rest as he awaited the inevitable. The tree happily obliged.

Tears fall in our lives like leaves from a tree. There are seasons of joy and seasons of solitude to come. Although it is temporary at this moment since they will be back in a month, it is bound that one day we too shall give it our all. The tree is at the edge of heaven overlooking the distant plain hoping it will grow wings like angels or hoping it won't step a foot further and falls off heaven.

Gee...am I sad or what?? I better go to the airport and buy myself a ticket now! Man!!..being single is tougher than I thought.