The Survivor Elm

We lived in Oklahoma City when Timothy McVeigh bombed the Murrah Federal Building back in April of 1995. In fact, my father was a U.S. Marshal and would park in that garage every morning. Fortunately, Dad missed the bombing by mere minutes when he decided to wash his car at the last minute (Side note: If you know my dad and his love for his cars, this is actually pretty fitting, given the circumstance. This is the same man that was inches away from running into an airplane propeller one time, because he didn't want to keep his coworkers waiting. The pilot even covered his eyes out of sheer horror).

Many lives were lost that day- government workers preparing for morning meetings, children at the daycare next door, several of Dad's friends and colleagues. It was, and still is, a tragedy committed by a traitor. Despite the carnage, there were numerous survivors. Among these survivors was an enormous elm tree, the blast of the bomb bending it over backwards. Travelers come from all over the country to see this, The Survivor Elm, the physical anomaly that baffles visitors, and inspires them.

A couple of years ago, the city of OKC gifted to my dad and other government workers each a sapling from the Survivor Elm. Dad chose to plant it in the backyard, where it slowly grows. It's small, but it's strong. It's a token of such a horrible day, and it's an honor to see it whenever I'm at my parents' place.

The other day, Mom noticed the Survivor Sapling growing a fungus that needed to be treated promptly and thoroughly. If the disease goes untreated for too long, it will keep getting worse, and eventually the tree will die. I offered to take care of it once we got the treatment spray. It felt like my job to keep this tree safe, to keep it alive. It needed love and attention. It's a tedious process. Before spraying the elm, each infected leaf has to be removed, one by one, and bagged to avoid the fungus spreading (Side note: apparently it's best to burn the infected leaves, but I don't want my parents to wind up homeless, so...no burning. And also, there's not a marshmallow in sight, and that would be a complete waste of a fire, right?).

It's important to pay attention to each leaf, to examine it for black spots and wilting. No leaf can be overlooked. Even one black spot can wreak havoc on the entire plant. It takes time, patience, undivided attention. Elms are tough. I find comfort in this as I tend to the tree. If an elm can survive a bomb, maybe other things are possible.