Saturday 19 September 2015

Shabbos tree.

Every week when I was young, on the way to shul we would pass the good shabbos tree.
The process was simple, a few houses down and across the street, the third oak tree from the left was our tree. On saturday mornings and only on saturday mornings not past a certain time (the good shabbos tree wasn't fond of children late to shul) this tree was magic. With a simple "good shabbos, shabbos tree" and a quick {forbidden} hug, the tree would rain down fruit by the foots on us - our treat of choice. I would nudge my father to be out the door before it was too late each and every week, for nothing was worse than when the shabbos tree ignored you.
Sometimes the mysterious tree would appoint a different tree a block or two ahead of it's usual post. This was all rather confusing. So my little mind would consider the various options, maybe the candy was thrown from airplanes in which delighted passengers were so proud of my shul-going activities?
But then I flew on my first flight and the windows didn't open and not much could be seen down below.
Harumph.
But each week I was more pleased with the arrival of candy than the confusion as to it's source. Not much else matters when your mouth is filled with sweetness.
And now sometimes I wonder when the good shabbos tree lost it's magic.
Was it in a moment of carelessness when my father accidentally allowed us to see him throwing the candy up from behind?
Or was it when I realized that trees make leaves, not candy.
Perhaps one day I started stealing candies from the cupboard and no longer needed to venture across the street.
One day, the tree was no longer magical and it's allure wore off.
Sometimes I wonder what it would take to make me feel such mysterious magic again.

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