A tree grows in Texas

Last weekend was Natalie's tree planting. We were fortunate enough to have Mike's parents and sister, my mom and brother, and many of our local friends at the event. This was really our own ritual - a combination of some Jewish traditions (like a baby naming), our wishes for Natalie and for ourselves as her parents, and our own reverence for the natural world. The tree we planted was a Chinese Pistache (we had originally thought we'd go with a desert willow, but supply was short on those and the remaining ones didn't look so good).

The day of the tree planting was, alas, rainier than we'd have liked (and then rain only intensified as the day wore on, to the misfortune of those attending the football game in the evening). Despite the rain, we had an excellent time - luckily, our back porch is big enough that we were able to gather all our guests there and do our little ceremony while everyone stayed dry.Here is what we said at the ceremony (to this we added some standard Jewish prayers which are not included here):

There is a Jewish tradition of naming a girl baby at a synagogue shortly after she is born. We decided to wait a little, and to combine the Jewish tradition announcing Natalie’s Hebrew name with our own ceremony to plant a tree in honor of Natalie’s birth.

We named our daughter Natalie Beth Strausz. Beth in memory of late great grandmother Bertha Strausz, who was a sweet, even-keeled, and loving woman, very committed to her family.

Many Jewish families outside of Israel give their children a Hebrew name in addition to their other name. We have decided to give Natalie the Hebrew name Tova, which means “good” in Hebrew, since Natalie is such a wonderful gift. We also chose the name Tova in memory of Natalie’s great great Aunt Pearl Mosner, who went by “Toni.” Toni was a smart, strong, and cultured woman, and we hope that Natalie will grown to resemble both of her namesakes in her own way.

Before we plant the tree, we want to say a few words to Natalie about why a tree is significant to her mom and dad.

We hope that, like this tree, you will feel a profound connection with your roots: the earth, your Jewish heritage, and your family – not just your parents, but also your grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. We also hope that your will build your own network of roots, just as we have – surrounding yourself with wonderful and loving friends and relationships that support and enrich you.

We hope that, like this tree, you will grow strong year after year, changing gracefully with the seasons and being flexible in the wind.

We hope that, like this tree, you can give shelter and comfort to those who are in need.

We hope that, like this tree, you will have the courage to reach for the sun and know the joy of light on your own face.

We also hope that, like this colorful tree, the world will be a better and more beautiful place because of your existence.

Now that we have talked about the tree, we would like to say a little bit about the broader environment that we would like to create for Natalie and our family.

We will try to be good listeners, to honor your experiences and perspective, and to remember that we are visitors in your world as much as you are in ours. As parents we will strive to be equal partners, honoring the unique and valuable gifts that each one of us brings to the relationship with each other and with you. We also know that parenting is difficult, and thus we value the support and wisdom of our families, and thus we will devote the resources to visit and stay in close communication with them as you grow.

We will close with this quote from Moses ben Shem Tov de Leon:

“Rabbi Yose taught: ‘God has a tree of flowering souls in Paradise. This tree is surrounded by the four winds of the world. From the branches of this tree sprout forth all souls, for they grow upon this tree, as it is written ‘I am a cypress tree in bloom; your fruit issues forth from Me.’ And from the roots of this tree sprouts the souls of all the righteous ones whose name are inscribed there. From this we learn that all souls are the fruit of the Holy One.”

And then, when there was a brief break in the rain later that afternoon, Mike and Aunt Jenny planted the tree: