Over the holidays, I made an unexpected trip to Atlanta for a family emergency. My sister fell off a horse and broke her right scapula and two vertebrae. Actually, the doctor used the term crushed for one of the vertebra. Needless to say, it was a super scary time and while she could still move her hands and feet, the neurosurgeon kept saying, we won’t really know more until we go in there.

So I packed up my things and flew to Atlanta. As the plane was landing, I looked over the city and saw trees everywhere! Even without their leaves, the trees obscured much of the city making it hard to get a sense of it. I’ve been to Atlanta several times, but this was the first time I really noticed the trees. This may have also been the first time I had a window seat.

When my Mom, nephew and I were driving back from the airport, I commented on all the beautiful trees. Mom explained that Atlanta is actually called the City of Trees. This got me thinking…maybe they know how to trim trees here…it is the City of Trees after all. (What can I say, the mind does strange things during stressful times.)

The next day as my brother-in-law pulled into the Atlanta Medical Center, the first thing I noticed were five of the saddest trees I’ve ever seen. They were strategically placed around the entrance as part of the landscaping, but with chopped off limbs and no leaves, they didn’t add much.

And that’s when I began to really doubt my instincts. Maybe trees are supposed to be trimmed like that? But it just seems so illogical to me in every way. And now I am committed to getting to the bottom of this mystery and finding the answers. So if you know any tree experts, please send them my way. Thanks to the internet, I’ve already got a good start and will be posting more soon.

The great news, my sister is doing much better! After two major surgeries, she is back in one piece thanks to an amazing neurosurgeon and titanium. She was released from the hospital on Christmas Eve and we all celebrated big time. She is walking, building up her strength and on the road to recovery. We are all so relieved and grateful!