This Christmas I was inspired to plant a tree. Maybe two. Maybe even a hundred.
You see, I had the opportunity to spend Christmas in Yuma, Arizona with my wife’s family. Her Grandmother snowbirds down there and has a lovely little lot in the foothills. While I was there, I did two things that I never could have done at home.
#1. I picked oranges.
About 20 years ago, when my wife’s grandparents purchased their lot, her Grandfather planted some orange, lemon, and grapefruit seedlings. Today those seedlings are 20 foot trees loaded with fruit. Each morning I was able to pick an orange right off the tree for breakfast, and for lunch I could squeeze some fresh lemonade. What a treat!
#2. I picked pecans.
As we drove through the Arizona countryside, we noticed a hand-drawn sign for fresh pecans. We decided to follow the sign and it took us to a farm yard that had a little fruit & nut stand. I had never seen a pecan tree before and the lady at the farm was kind enough to show me their pecan trees. The leaves had fallen off, leaving clusters of the nuts all over the tree. When I asked how old the trees were, she told me that the trees had been planted there by her Grandfather nearly 100 years ago! I was impressed. Because of the hard work of a man who lived 100 years ago, I was able to enjoy fresh pecans – picked right from the tree.
The Moral of the Story
My garden is an inheritance that I will one day past down to the next generation.
My Grandfather-in-law enjoyed those citrus trees during his lifetime for sure. But he was not the only one. His children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren have all enormously enjoyed the fruits of his labor – many of whom he never even had the chance to meet. In some way those citrus trees are an inheritance that he has passed down to all of us. What growing inheritance will you leave your great-grandchildren? You may not ever be wealthy, but with a little planning and effort, you can leave a lasting inheritance that will continue to grow and provide good things for the generations to come. As for me, as soon as this snow melts, I think I just might plant a tree or two.
