I have always had a fascination with trees-I always needed to climb them. I started climbing trees when I was three years old.
The first tree I climbed was the Dogwood Tree in our front yard in Huntsville, Alabama. It was a lovely tree, only two feet from the ground, but I would sit in that tree for what seemed like hours just to feel higher than everyone else.
My second tree was a little higher. I believe I was about five years old. I am not sure how I got up there in the first place. But, I saw it as a challenge and climbed to the first branch, about 4.5 feet off the ground. It was a Pine Tree. Unfortunately, climbing it was not the challenge, getting down was. I yelled for my daddy, "Daddy save me! Save me! I am stuck!" So with his trusty ladder he put it up against the tree. He told me, "Okay Sweety, put your arms around me. Grab Tight!" And down the ladder he would take me victoriously.
The Tree of All Trees, the Three-Headed Tree stood on the corner of our property in Huntsville. It was the the envy of all climbing trees. It was a Sweet Gum tree. It was one tree, but with a three-way split trunk. It was so tall with lovely branches for sitting on, climbing on, and for swinging. Not to mention, the prickly fruits from the tree were great for warding off enemies. Molly, Trish, Maria, and my friend Kristin all climbed that tree. It was large enough to have 20 children in it at the same time.
One day, Molly and I decided to climb it higher than anyone had ever climbed The Three-Headed Tree. It was supposed to be our record breaker. So, we started to climb. We hit the middle of the tree, and Molly said, "Let's Go, to the top!" I said, "Sure, no problem!" We climbed for about 15 minutes, placing our feet and arms in the footholds of each branch; carefully maneuvering arm to hand to foot. We got to the highest point, where the tree branches would sway from our weight. It was amazing!!!
I could see all the way down from the top of our hill to the bottom of the street. I saw all the tops of the trees and the tops of the homes in my neighborhood. I felt like the princess above all the people. Then, Molly decided it was time to go back down. That would take more time than it did to go up the tree. We started to descend the tree. Molly was just moving so swiftly I could not really catch her. I yelled, "Molly stop! Please, slow down!" She said, "It is easy, Marissa, move like me. Put your foot here and there." All of a sudden I could not move. I told her, "I can't! I can't move! I'm stuck!" She laughed as she thought I was kidding. I started to cry. With tears rolling down my face, Molly left the tree as if she had wings. She ran next door to tell her mom.
Her mom called my mom and two worried mothers were under that tree pretty quickly. One of Molly's big brothers was to attempt a rescue. He climbed up the tree and met me. He said, "Marissa, put your arms around me." I said, "No, I can't! I am too scared!" Without any luck persuading me, he descended the tree. I was starting to get cold. Not that it was cold outside, but sitting up in that tree, my legs and arms were getting sore and tired. As a result, I felt colder.
I was starting to attract a crowd, basically the concerned neighbors, all at the bottom of the tree. No one knew what to do. So, someone called the Fire Department. This huge firetruck pulls up to my yard. The firemen in their suits come walking up to the tree. They look up and see me as if I were like a large cat stuck in the tree. The fireman tried to put up a ladder and I recall one climbing the tree, but I did the same with him. For some reason, I did not trust them either.
Finally my Daddy came home. He yelled up the tree, "Marissa, why wouldn't you come down?" I shouted back, "Daddy, I am so scared! Please Daddy, save me! Please I need you!" At this point I had tears of terror and happiness rolling down my cheek. "Please Daddy, please come and get me," I said. Reluctantly, my Dad started to ascend the tree. He kept yelling up to me, "Hold on Sweety. I am coming. Daddy is coming!"
My Dad finally met me in the tree. He said, "Okay, Marissa, put your arms around Daddy, and put your foot on my leg." Without hesitation, I did as he told me, wiping my tears with my sleeve. I told him, "I love you Daddy. You are my Hero." He took me down the tree. As soon as we got to the bottom, everyone still assembled to see what would happen to the girl in the tree, started clapping. My mother grabbed me and said that she was so happy that I finally came down the tree, and to never climb that high again, unless I am sure I can get down on my own.
My Father has always been my hero. I guess I will always be "Daddy's Little Girl."
The first tree I climbed was the Dogwood Tree in our front yard in Huntsville, Alabama. It was a lovely tree, only two feet from the ground, but I would sit in that tree for what seemed like hours just to feel higher than everyone else.
My second tree was a little higher. I believe I was about five years old. I am not sure how I got up there in the first place. But, I saw it as a challenge and climbed to the first branch, about 4.5 feet off the ground. It was a Pine Tree. Unfortunately, climbing it was not the challenge, getting down was. I yelled for my daddy, "Daddy save me! Save me! I am stuck!" So with his trusty ladder he put it up against the tree. He told me, "Okay Sweety, put your arms around me. Grab Tight!" And down the ladder he would take me victoriously.
The Tree of All Trees, the Three-Headed Tree stood on the corner of our property in Huntsville. It was the the envy of all climbing trees. It was a Sweet Gum tree. It was one tree, but with a three-way split trunk. It was so tall with lovely branches for sitting on, climbing on, and for swinging. Not to mention, the prickly fruits from the tree were great for warding off enemies. Molly, Trish, Maria, and my friend Kristin all climbed that tree. It was large enough to have 20 children in it at the same time.
One day, Molly and I decided to climb it higher than anyone had ever climbed The Three-Headed Tree. It was supposed to be our record breaker. So, we started to climb. We hit the middle of the tree, and Molly said, "Let's Go, to the top!" I said, "Sure, no problem!" We climbed for about 15 minutes, placing our feet and arms in the footholds of each branch; carefully maneuvering arm to hand to foot. We got to the highest point, where the tree branches would sway from our weight. It was amazing!!!
I could see all the way down from the top of our hill to the bottom of the street. I saw all the tops of the trees and the tops of the homes in my neighborhood. I felt like the princess above all the people. Then, Molly decided it was time to go back down. That would take more time than it did to go up the tree. We started to descend the tree. Molly was just moving so swiftly I could not really catch her. I yelled, "Molly stop! Please, slow down!" She said, "It is easy, Marissa, move like me. Put your foot here and there." All of a sudden I could not move. I told her, "I can't! I can't move! I'm stuck!" She laughed as she thought I was kidding. I started to cry. With tears rolling down my face, Molly left the tree as if she had wings. She ran next door to tell her mom.
Her mom called my mom and two worried mothers were under that tree pretty quickly. One of Molly's big brothers was to attempt a rescue. He climbed up the tree and met me. He said, "Marissa, put your arms around me." I said, "No, I can't! I am too scared!" Without any luck persuading me, he descended the tree. I was starting to get cold. Not that it was cold outside, but sitting up in that tree, my legs and arms were getting sore and tired. As a result, I felt colder.
I was starting to attract a crowd, basically the concerned neighbors, all at the bottom of the tree. No one knew what to do. So, someone called the Fire Department. This huge firetruck pulls up to my yard. The firemen in their suits come walking up to the tree. They look up and see me as if I were like a large cat stuck in the tree. The fireman tried to put up a ladder and I recall one climbing the tree, but I did the same with him. For some reason, I did not trust them either.
Finally my Daddy came home. He yelled up the tree, "Marissa, why wouldn't you come down?" I shouted back, "Daddy, I am so scared! Please Daddy, save me! Please I need you!" At this point I had tears of terror and happiness rolling down my cheek. "Please Daddy, please come and get me," I said. Reluctantly, my Dad started to ascend the tree. He kept yelling up to me, "Hold on Sweety. I am coming. Daddy is coming!"
My Dad finally met me in the tree. He said, "Okay, Marissa, put your arms around Daddy, and put your foot on my leg." Without hesitation, I did as he told me, wiping my tears with my sleeve. I told him, "I love you Daddy. You are my Hero." He took me down the tree. As soon as we got to the bottom, everyone still assembled to see what would happen to the girl in the tree, started clapping. My mother grabbed me and said that she was so happy that I finally came down the tree, and to never climb that high again, unless I am sure I can get down on my own.
My Father has always been my hero. I guess I will always be "Daddy's Little Girl."
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