Ari Rae’s Magic Tree

Posted On December 24, 2023

To Ari Rae Marra

The Apple of Grampa’s Eye

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This is Ari Rae Marra.

She loves to visit her Grampa’s house.

Ari Rae and her Grampa have their own special greeting.

Fist bump, high five, gentle head butt.

It’s how they tell each other “Hello” & “I love you so much.”

One sunny spring day when Ari Rae was at Grampa’s house, he took her out into the yard and said,

“Ari Rae, close your eyes tight. No peeking allowed until I say so. Grampa has something very special to show you.”

So, Ari Rae scrunched up her face and closed her eyes tight as Grampa picked her up and carried her into the yard.

She did not peek. Her imagination ran wild.

Ari Rae Marra was very excited.

“What is this special thing Grampa wants to show me?”

“What could it be?”

Ari Rae kept her eyelids squeezed shut just as tight as she could as she waited and wondered.

“Okay, Ari Rae. You may open your eyes.”

Ari Rae slowly opened one eyelid, then the other, to see Grampa’s special surprise.

“I don’t understand, Grampa. I thought you had something special to show me. This is just a tree.”

“Oh, this is not just any tree Ari Rae. This is a magic tree.”

“What’s magic about it, Grampa?” Ari Rae asked as she examined the tree’s forming buds.

“What makes this tree different from all of the others?”

“Just be patient Ari Rae, and you will see. Just be patient and you will soon discover what makes this a magic tree.”

So, Ari Rae waited and watched as other trees around her tree budded to life. Her tree just sat in the yard doing nothing magic at all. It just sat quiet.

Then one day as April showers turned to May sun, Ari Rae visited Grampa’s house.

They greeted each other with a fist bump, high five, and gentle head butt. Then Grampa said, “I’ve got a surprise for you today, Ari Rae. Close your eyes!”

Ari Rae Squeezed her eyelids shut tight as Grampa lifted her to his shoulders.

Ari Rae wondered,

“What could Grampa’s surprise be?!”

“Okay Ari Rae, here we are! You may now open your eyes.”

Ari Rae slowly opened one eyelid, then the other, to see Grampa’s surprise.

Once her eyelids were open Ari Rae let out a gasp.

Much to Ari Rae’s delight, her magic tree was now filled with pinkish red blossoms.

Her nose filled with a sweet flower smell that was something quite awesome.

“Oh Grampa! Is this what makes this a magic tree? These pink flowers are beautiful!”

“Oh, this is just the beginning of this tree’s magic, Ari Rae. Just be patient. You’ll see.”

So, Ari Rae waited impatiently as the flower petals fell from her magic tree and spring turned to summer.

“When Grampa? When? When will I get to see what it is that makes this tree a magic tree?”

Then one June day, after Ari Rae and Grampa greeted each other with a fist bump, high five and gentle head butt, Grampa said “Ari Rae, close your eyes! Your magic tree has a special surprise for you.”

So, Ari Rae once again squeezed her eyelids shut tight, wondering,

“What could it be?”

“What special surprise could my magic tree have in store for me?”

Ari Rae rode out into the yard high atop Grampa’s shoulders.

“Okay, Ari Rae. You can open your eyes!”

“Your magic tree has something special to show you.”

Ari Rae slowly opened one eyelid, then the other.

What she saw made her giggle with glee. Her tree was filled with little round, greenish balls!

“Oh my!” She gasped.

“What are these round green things hanging from my tree, Grampa?” Ari Rae asked.

“These are baby green apples.” Grampa began to explain, “But…”

Ari Rae did not wait.

Before Grampa could utter another word, she reached out, plucked a green apple and took a big bite.

Ari Rae immediately puckered her face, spit out her green apple bite and let out a yell.

“YUK!!!”

“I thought you said this was a magic tree Grampa!!”

“These green apples aren’t magic!!”

“Green apples taste AWFUL!“

Grampa smiled and chuckled.

“Magic trees take their own sweet time to grow, Ari Rae. Just be patient. You’ll see.”

So, Ari Rae waited impatiently. She waited and waited, then waited some more, watching her magic tree’s apples grow as summer’s sun fed them and rainy days watered them.

Then one mid-September day, as summer’s leaves took on fall colors, Ari Rae one warm fall morning greeted her Grampa with a fist bump, high five and gentle head butt.

“Close your eyes Ari Rae. I have a surprise for you.”

Ari Rae once again climbed atop her Grampa’s shoulders and squeezed her eyelids shut tight.

“I sure hope it’s something nice this time Grampa, and not more green apples!”

This time Grampa smiled and laughed.

“Just be patient Ari Rae. You will soon enough find out!”

Ari Rae rode her Grampa’s shoulders out into the yard.

“Okay Ari Rae. You may open your eyes.”

Air Rae slowly opened one eyelid, then the other.

“Oh my!” She gasped.

All the yukky green apples were gone! Her magic tree had replaced them with big shiny red apples, hanging down from each branch.

Ari Rae hesitated, remembering all too well what had happened the LAST time she reached up and picked one.

“Go ahead and pick one Ari Rae.” Grampa encouraged.

“Use two hands. Pluck it gently from your tree and give it a taste.”

Air Rae reached up with two hands and with Grampa’s help, gently plucked down a great big red apple. She gripped it with two hands and took a big bite.

Sweet yumminess suddenly filled up her tastebuds. She grinned ear to ear as she took another big bite and juice streamed down her chin.

“Oh! Grampa! This IS a magic tree!” Ari Rae exclaimed between bites.

“This is a magic tree, Grampa. All along you were right.”

“I just had to be patient and wait for my tree to finish its magic before I took my first bite!”

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