The Tree

There was a tree whose roots were deep and abiding. It stood strong, and would cling to the fertile underground as storms of immense influence came upon and over it. Its bark consumed and warded away infections and parasites. It stood long, for generation after generation.

Until, in mere moments, it was cut down at its base, and what was once whole became two; the top being quartered and mulched, the root remaining.

As time passed, the upper half of the tree was highly praised and sought by many carpenters and wood workers of every sort. The root, however, remained, clinging to the underground. There were many who tried to dig up the root, attacking the ground above it to expose its weakest grip and pull it out, but there were no spaces weak enough to exploit, as the root went too deep.

Thus, it went abandoned and cursed by hundreds of developers and architects over further generations. Eventually, its last efforts of life ended, and it died.

Yet, it was so fruitful in its life, and it reached so deep into the ground, that it gave the greatest abundance of nutrients back to its portion of soil over hundreds more years, growing more and more plants whose nutrition was so great in abundance that the soil became renowned for its purity and richness.

So it is with the dead whose testimonies were deep and abiding throughout their lives, enriching the lives of all who came after them and drew from their soil, for generations to come.