Tree planted by first grader 27 years ago becomes symbol for Medway
MEDWAY - A tree seedling planted by a girl in Medway has flourished into a symbol for the entire neighborhood.
"It's kind of become part of everything that we do around here. There's a lot of talk about Sarah's tree," explained Beth MacLeod of Medway.
Seedling in a milk carton
How could Sarah's tree not be part of everything, when for a quarter of a century it's been right beside them. A source of shade, the background of family photos, and most of all, a measure of time. Sarah was a first grader back in 1997 when she, like a lot of students in Massachusetts, sailed home from school with a seedling in a milk carton.
"Sarah and her Papa came out and planted the tree. We kind of didn't think too much of it. You think it's a tree, it'll get stepped on, a deer will eat it or something," Beth recalled.
But for more than 25 years, it grew and grew, and grew now towering over the MacLeod home.
Neighbors share favorite memories
Beth shared a photo of the tree to her local Facebook group. Several hundred liked and loved it. Just as the tree's branches extend for birds and bunnies in Beth's yard, the post was an invitation to neighbors, many of whom shared their own favorite Medway memories.
"I think one of the reasons the post was so popular was because it wasn't a post about pizza, plumbers, politics," Beth said, laughing.
Sarah lives out of state. And Papa has passed away. But what tree stands for, still ties their family all together.
"As parents it's really hard when you're juggling all the stuff you have to do in the raising of the kids. It really makes me think of what I want to do with my grandchildren," she said.
And as all students start a new school year, a reminder of what can grow when it's cared for - be it kindness or interests, confidence, or independence.
"I do think it's those things, those little moments that really stick with us," Beth said. "When I look back, those are the pieces. It's these little moments you have reflection on and see they grew, this grew."