I feel like the Giving Tree. I like to give, but some of my energy and ability to assist were taken away, not by a boy, but by a disease with consequences.
PUBLISHED January 12, 2018
Jane has earned three advanced degrees and had several fulfilling careers as a librarian, rehabilitation counselor and college teacher. Presently she does freelance writing. Her articles include the subjects of hearing loss and deafness, service dogs and struggling with cancer. She has been a cancer survivor since 2010.
She has myelodysplastic syndrome, which is rare, and would love to communicate with others who have MDS.
As a former children’s librarian, one of my favorite books was the classic story of “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. I used this book many times for storytelling. I learned the story in sign language to add more drama and meaning to the plot. I told the tale with a wide age range from 4-year-olds to adults.She has myelodysplastic syndrome, which is rare, and would love to communicate with others who have MDS.
The book never failed to bring responses to the listeners ranging from clapping afterwards to tears in the eyes of the listener. Why does this book resonate so much with many people? And why do I compare it with living with cancer?
First, for people who do not know the story, let me reiterate. It is about the relationship between a young boy and an apple tree. The boy climbed the tree, ate the apples and was with the tree all the time. The tree was willing to give everything to the boy because he loves him so much. As the boy becomes a young adult and then an old man, his needs change. Initially, the tree gives the boy his apples to sell for money. When the boy becomes a young adult, he offers his branches to build a house. After the young man becomes older and wants to get away from everything, the tree gives him his trunk for a boat.
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