Once upon a time, in the middle of the world where everybody built their lives, was a great big tree. The tree’s trunk was so massive you couldn’t see around it yet it was so soft you could hug it and rest against it. The tree was where everyone came to in a time of need, for after you carved your problems into its bark you could hear its response through the wind. Actually, the tree always tried to talk to everyone, but no one listened unless there was a problem. The tree absorbed each of its carvings, dutifully, and converted the memories into new branches and roots. The Memory Tree was always there for everyone.
No one has any idea how old the Memory Tree is, where it came from, or much of anything at all about it. They just know it’s wise and reliable. They have forgotten that the Memory Tree’s roots form the foundation under the ground on which they’ve built their life. They don’t care that the Memory Tree feels pain when it gets carved into. All they know is they can always come to it for help, it is in the same familiar place; all one needs to do is take minimal effort to reach out to it and it will respond.
The atmosphere around the Memory Tree is always calm, even though most people are, themselves, too tense to appreciate it. No matter how busy life gets, you are always welcome. No matter how lonely the Memory Tree gets, it will continue to try to talk to you as you pass by. Everyone knows about the Memory Tree, and everyone can commonly see it during their normal routine. However, it is almost always just taken for granted as it stands watch over the people. No one bothers to find out how, but the Memory Tree keeps its area: neat, open, and inviting. The Memory Tree is a bastion of sanity, and solace, in the busy modern world.
The Memory Tree itself is a testament to patience, understanding, and unyielding love. Its branches intertwine with one another, forming a dense canopy of shelter. Its leaves are vibrant but not glaring. It’s grand but unassuming, one would think you couldn’t miss something of that size but people find a way to forget it anyway. Despite its convenience, it seems like people go out of their way to avoid the Memory Tree. If it wasn’t for the services it provides, it is likely no one would go near it at all.
With everyone so pre-occupied in their own lives, no one realizes the Memory Tree is dying. Having absorbed so much neglect, malice, hatred, betrayal, and corruption, the Memory Tree is dying from the inside out. The massive, supportive, centerpiece of the world, as they know it, is fading and no one even bats an eye. All it would take to save it is to give what is given; to do that, however, would imply people actually care. If people would just care for the gentle giant the same way it has cared for them, it wouldn’t be a hollowing husk. What will people do when the Memory Tree is gone? Will they remember the Memory Tree? Will they regret?