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Happy streaming. I'm Malcolm Gladwell. I live way out in the country. I drive everywhere.
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Exclusions apply. The stories we tell are free to you but they're not free to make and any donation possible helps our effort here. And we are a non-profit and you can go to alamericanstories.com and click the donate button. Do a little, do a lot, do your part and thanks so much ahead of time because we've gotten so much support from so many listeners. And now on to a regular feature with author Winter Presapio. This story is about the lessons that Winter learned from the book, The Giving Tree. I thought I had hidden it well enough. I shoved it in the back of the bookcase and it had been successfully out of sight for nearly two years.
But they have no compunction about such things at the library. These disturbing works of literature are just out on the shelves within reach of the youngest patrons. The bright green cover seized my daughter's attention and before I knew it, we were checking it out. The Giving Tree was back. I have always hated The Giving Tree. This classic book by Shel Silverstein is about a little boy who grows into an old man taking and taking and taking from an apple tree. First he takes the apples to pick up some cash, then he cuts down The Giving Tree's branches for a house, then whack, down goes the trunk for a boat and The Giving Tree is nothing but a stump, which he comes back later and sits on for a rest. And the misogynistic creep never once uttered a single word of gratitude and yet at every turn The Giving Tree is happy.
I say that is clearly a tree in need of some serious therapy and that boy is in need of some hardcore sensitivity training. As a mother, there are many days where I feel like I am The Giving Tree. I spend my day running around as a demented waitress, cook, nurse, and cruise director. I referee disputes, manage egos, bite my tongue 50 times letting only a few inappropriate things slip. I carry a child down the stairs who runs up them nightly.
I rescue toys from under a bed that either daughter can crawl under without getting stuck halfway. I attend to the needs of this family of Leos who spend the day roaring their demands all over the land until about 9pm until at last they are all asleep and I... I am a stump and I am so not happy.
I'm ready to pick up my roots and skedaddle to some other orchard where I'll be watered and fertilized, where my fruit will be prized, my long branches admired, my thick trunk appreciated. I'm just not good at this Giving Tree thing. I thought it would come naturally as a mother, but I had no sense how much I'd need to give. My cluelessness is undoubtedly the result of a long life without children. No other generation has had so much me time before becoming parents. Our generation has had the luxury of truly choosing the commencement of parenting. For those of us who delayed bringing a new life into the world, we now have to contend with habits and natures built on a foundation that doesn't involve a whole lot of giving.
With the exception of a few thousand Peace Corps volunteers, the rest of us have been the little boy, taking from the Giving Tree, completely oblivious to its love and generosity. We focused on important things with all of our energy and resources, and these things were very important BC, before children. Cars, hobbies, designer clothes, careers, lives of complete strangers, aka celebrities. We spent weeks mulling over choices, days discussing the latest trends, and hours sharing the juiciest bits of gossip. When children arrive, all these seemingly vital activities fade from our lives until we've found ourselves behind the wheels of minivans or their carefully disguised equivalents.
Wearing anything that came out of the dryer in reasonable condition, talking on the phone about soccer schedules, and boxing up our collections to set them out for the next yard sale. Because now it's our turn to become the Giving Tree. Now is when we begin coughing up the apples and branches, and soon a trunk. Some of us are better at being Giving Tree than others.
Some of us... Okay, so I'm a rotten Giving Tree. I struggle more often than I'd like to admit with the role of relentless giver.
And then it happens. My daughters, perhaps sensing the impending root rot in their Giving Tree, suddenly begin to transform the orchard. They make me laugh, help fold clothes, put away dishes, and cover me with hugs and kisses. They take my spirit in their hands and toss it into the air like leaves, giggling as they catch me in their arms. They say, thank you mommy, you're wonderful.
And even though I taught them to say that as a joke, it still feels good. On those days, by 10pm, I don't care if I'm a stump hanker, I don't even realize I'm giving. I'm just mom, a mother of two wonderful daughters, and being a Giving Tree seems like the easiest thing in the world.
Until the sun rises, and it begins again. I've come to realize that happy for a Giving Tree and a mother is not about comfort and relaxation. Happy is about having my little ones run beneath my branches, sheltering them in my shade, tossing out a few apples, and in the end, giving all that I have. Slowly, I am learning to be a Giving Tree. As I'm trying to teach my children a sense of gratitude for all the giving that surrounds us, I am learning that this level of giving is not something we know how to do the moment our children arrive. Like gratitude, giving is something we have to learn. I guess, at this point, I'll dig out the Giving Tree from our bookcase. Maybe, if I pencil in an occasional thank you, you're wonderful, I'll feel just a little better. At least, until I get the hang of all this giving. And great job on that piece, Faith, and a beautiful performance by Winter Persapio.
Like gratitude, giving is something we have to learn, and you have to almost develop an appetite for it. And my goodness, Winter has, and what a beautiful piece of storytelling. We're looking for your stories, too, about motherhood, fatherhood, because these are two things that matter so much in this country.
Now, more than ever, kids are starving for love. The lessons from the Giving Tree, Winter Persapio's story, here on Our American Stories. Folks, if you love the great American stories we tell and love America like we do, we're asking you to become a part of the Our American Stories family. If you agree that America is a good and great country, please make a donation.
A monthly gift of $17.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for supporters. Go to OurAmericanStories.com now and go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming. That's OurAmericanStories.com. Whether you're searching for the latest sneaker drop, that iconic handbag, a timeless watch, or your next piece of classic jewelry, eBay authenticators are there verifying every detail of your purchase. With years of experience, they're making sure the piece you're searching for is worthy of your collection. eBay's authenticators are experts in their craft, true connoisseurs, and as leaders in their field, they're making sure your items always arrive as authentic as your style. In a world full of fakes, it's time to get real with eBay Authenticity Guarantee.
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Listen to Echoes of History, Assassins vs Templars on iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts. State Farm is committed to being your top choice when ensuring the things that matter to you. My cultura podcast host, Dramos, also believes in the power of financial knowledge. That's why he makes sure to share his financial tips on his podcast, Life as a Gringo. When it comes to investments and it's real estate, I didn't want to just buy a house. I wanted to buy a property that also made me money, you know, so I ended up buying an investment property, a mixed-use property. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Learn more at es.statefarm.com. State Farm is a proud partner of the Michael Tura Podcast Network.
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