At 5:30am Thursday, I received a text from my brother John (I was already up). He, his wife and son were in the Hartsfield Airport in Atlanta, GA, waiting to board a plane for California. They were travelling to attend the Services for Oliver Tree, who is the son or our cousin Christine and her husband, Jesse.
If I ask adults if they know of Oliver Tree and his work, some have no clue, but others tell me how much their kids adored him. When I ask a young person the same thing, their face lights up, but is shadowed quickly with the knowledge that he is no longer with us in body. His message to them was not to limit their hopes and dreams by the opinions of others and to find creativity no matter how limited or restricted they felt. He lived life large in his 32 short years in ways I’m only now learning of.
I come from a large extended family. At one time there were a total of 45 first cousins. Unfortunately, with time we’ve lost a few, two from my own family alone. Oliver Tree’s fraternal grandfather, Dan, was a close sibling of my father, Jack. How could they know way back in the late 1940’s, playing football for Springfiled College (MA) that my Uncle Dan would be the grandfather of such a unique personality and international star decades later? I have many good youthful memories of spending time with Dan’s family and so many of my other cousins. Many of them hold a prominent memory in my heart and mind after decades of family reunions and gatherings. With each loss, I try to recall a special time spent with each.
My earliest recollection of Oliver Tree is from his Diaper Days when Christine, my Uncle Dan and I took Oliver and his brother Jessup on a wine tour in Sonoma, California. My uncle was in the hospitality and food/wine industry so it was a great tour. I remember Christine changing Oliver’s diaper and noticing that he already had a way of making us laugh with his movements and sounds. Later that day, at a family dinner, Oliver tossed a Teddy Bear in the air that came to land in my soup! Even then he found ways to amuse and entertain, even if it wasn’t intentional.
This past week also marked what would’ve been my dad’s 99th birthday. We were very fortunate to have him in our lives for so long until his passing three years ago. He spent alot of time at my home in Georgia during his final year. My late husband, Rich, had already passed and it made me smile when my father, who had dementia, asked if I was seeing anyone. By that time his memory of Rich had faded even though they were very close. I always had some “fun” telling my father that I met someone, describing Rich. My father thought that was great and couldn’t wait to meet him. I picture them together in the afterlife with my dad telling Rich, “She met someone just like you!”
On Sunday, June 14th, I’d just planted by very first Moringa seedling in the ground. Shortly after, I picked up my phone and was greeted by the terrible headline that Oliver Tree was presumed dead in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro. Shocked, I handed the phone to my partner, David, asking if it was a fake news item. After some intense scrolling, however, it was clear the news was true. Oliver and five other young men perished in that moment.
The Moringa, also known as the Tree of Life, reminds me of one of Oliver’s hit songs, “Life Goes On”. This evening, Oliver’s Celebration of Life will be live streamed from his hometown of Santa Cruz, CA. Millions around the world will watch. I’ll be there in spirit and will continue to share the story of Oliver’s Tree as it grows on with its roots firmly planted in the ground and life-giving leaves ready to share.
Have a good weekend wherever it takes you.
