Look at the trees

I pick my Dad up from the aged care facility he lives at and we go for drives.

There’s a nice bakery 25 minutes out onto the peninsula.

We always take the scenic route. Because I’ve got nothing but time Dad says.

Not far from the turn off towards the water, there’s a stretch of road lined with Moreton Bay Figs (the smaller kind, for now) and perhaps a few other types of tree.

Every time we drive through, my Dad always says, wow look at the trees.

Even after we’ve been through probably over 100 times.

Wow, look at the trees.

And so I do and I watch him look at them too and I smile and I think how wonderful it is I get to go on drives and look at the trees with my Dad.

Driving along that one stretch of road is enough to make his day.

You notice things more when you’ve got less things to notice.

My wife and I go for walks near our house.

Down the bottom of our street, there’s another collection of trees, some larger Moreton Bay Figs and perhaps a few other types of tree.

She looks up at the trees and says wow I love these trees.

We’ve walked down the street together probably over 100 times.

A lady nearby sees us looking up and says these trees are wonderful aren’t they.

We all agree.

You can see the sun piercing through the leaves making sunlight pancakes on the street.

I look up and through the gaps and try to see what’s on the other side.

Today there’s plenty of blue and a few streaks of cloud.

I watch my wife look up at the outstretched canopy and start skipping in between the polka dots of sunshine on the road and I smile and I think how wonderful it is I get to watch my wife skipping and doing cartwheels under the trees.

Walking through that one stretch of road is enough to make my day.