在那棵山毛榉倒下以前，我们以为自己会难舍它的树荫;而失去它之后，我们惊奇地发现，原来阳光是那么地美。
ThefirsttimeIsawthetreewaswhenmyhusband, Tim, draggedmetolookatarun-downhousehesawlistedonarealestateagent’swebsite.[1] Asthiswasoneofhishobbies, Iwasusedtoit. Itwasanicynightandhehadtocajole[2] meoutofthecar. Thetreestoodofftotheside, butIwassodistractedbythedecrepitnatureofthehouseandTim’scan-dosmilethatIonlyglancedattheloomingpresence, registeringBigTreeOfftoLeft.[3]
Tim’scan-dosmileturnedintoapurchaseanda 13-monthrenovation. Well, anoverhaul[4]. Mostofthose 13 monthswespentinsidetacklingtediousdecisionslikewhatshadeofwhiteweshouldpaintthewalls.[5] Neighborsstrolled[6] bytocheckourprogressbutseemedlessinterestedinthehouseandmoreinthefateofthetree. “What’shappeningwiththetree?” askedone. Andanother, “Mykidsgrewupplayingonthattree. Ihopeyou’regoingtokeepit.” Isensedaslightnervousness, evenhostility, intheirquestions. Didtheythinkwemightcutitdownforadriveway[7], ormaybeevenathree-cargarage?
Iaddedtheseperceivedreproaches[8] tothemanyreasonswhyIthoughtwehadmadeamistakebuyingthishouse. Stuffytown, nosyneighbors.[9] IhopedthatifIaccumulatedenoughcomplaintswemightfinallypackupandleaveMassachusetts, returningtoNewYorkCity. IhadbeenperfectlycontentinourUpperWestSide[10] buildingwith 49 apartmentsandneighborstochatwithintheelevator. OK, notthecrazyladywithallofthecats. But, withmorethan 10 childrenourchildren’sages, weneverwantedforplay-datesorcommunity.[11] Andtrick-or-treating[12] wassoefficient.
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