We thought we’d lost it to the drought. The hot dry spring parched the land. Water was dripped sparingly to nurture veggies and fruit trees, but not a drop allowed for ornamentals. The jacaranda stood stark and bare, not a leaf or a single bud. In the city the purple –blue blossoms delighted our spring visitors, but still no sign of life in our dry little corner of the world.
We were sad at the thought of losing this lovely tree. It had been given to us as a little seedling which a fellow parishioner dug up from her own yard when we moved to this new home in 1990. It had provided shade for spectators at many family cricket matches over the years, and was a prized climbing tree by the younger children.
Finally the rains came – wonderful soaking life-giving rain. The jacaranda responded immediately, giving us a wonderful show.
I am grateful for the rain and for the survival of our tree. I am also grateful for the lesson learned – a tree does not have to be a fruit provider to earn a place in our lives, and a drop of water in dry times.
