The wind brushes the leaves above me. The rustling sounds spread across the lawn and into the windows of the house. With a gust of wind, the door bursts open as my friends flood out to see me. They start to play with my fallen branches and climb on me to get as high as possible. I hold them up and make sure they don’t fall. Day after day they come out to play with me; as they grow I grow with them, but in a different way. Some days they are gone from the morning till the afternoon and I wait in excitement for them to return so we can enjoy another day together. After awhile they brought other friends with them. They sit under my shade now for cover from the heat. I protect them from things they can’t protect themselves from. They carve their names on my trunk: Joey, Sean, Jordan, Connor. Signs of them being with me and staying with me, things I won’t forget… Things I don’t want to forget. After some time I see boxes go in and out of the house, going in empty but leaving full. I watch my friends leave, some coming to say goodbye but others leaving without a word. The wind brushes the leaves above me. The rustling sounds spread across the lawn and into the windows of the house. The sound echoes throughout the house with no reply. A car pulls up, new faces i’ve never scene. They start to carry boxes in and out of the house, going in full but coming out empty. They come out to see me, they see the marks of others that have left a print on me. I’m stronger now, my branches are wider and longer. My trunk has grown. They stay and come back to see me everyday. They carve their names into my trunk next to the others of past time. I’ll protect them and help them get higher. Just like ones before them.