My Mother’s Orange Tree

On December 7^th, 1941, my mother was at her friend Louise’s house.  They were picking the first oranges of the season when Louise’s mother came out to the yard to tell them the news that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor.

Every year after, my mother commemorated the date by picking, and then eating, the first orange of the season in honor of those who had fought in World War II.  Hers was a silent tradition; for decades she never even told anyone she was doing this.  She finally shared the story with me, and if I could, I would come to her house on December 7^th so I could pick an orange with her.

My Mom died in October 2009.  That first December I made a point of driving over to her empty house after work to pick an orange for her.   My brother and I were preparing to sell the house where we had grown up, and I wondered where I would pick oranges in the coming years.  I wondered if I could fit a tree in the tiny yard of my midtown bungalow.

Later the following year I made a decision that surprised even me:  I decided to move into Mom’s house.  It’s been over ten years since I’ve moved home, and it’s been a great blessing for me to be here in this lovely, quiet neighborhood.  Now another December has arrived, and I’m excited to see all the beautiful orange fruit hanging like Christmas ornaments amid the glossy dark leaves.

So I invite you to join me:  eat an orange on December 7^th in memory of my Mom, and in memory of any of your family—your parents or grandparents—whose lives were touched by that horrendous time in our history.  Its aftermath has affected us all.  Eat an orange in memory of the Greatest Generation.

Please also say a prayer that the promises of democracy and freedom that so many of our elders were willing to die for might continue to bless America–all of America–for generations to come. In the past, there were many Americans who were denied the right to vote, the right to live where they wanted to live, to work where they wanted to work, to love whom they wanted to love. These rights have been hard won slowly and we still have a long way to go. Yet there are many who would see us go back to a time of inequality and discrimination. Please act when and where you can, and affirm America’s promise in your heart always. Thank you. Amen

The photo above shows the big beautiful orange tree that blesses my back yard. Yes, that is the real Santa Claus, who stops by every December to collect a few oranges for good children everywhere. Believe. . .

Photo credit to yours truly!