My Battle with the Hawthorne Tree

 Last year at this time, I did what a lot people have been documented as to doing during the lock down period of the Coronavirus in 2020...I worked on landscape. It was just before Holy week that I discovered the Hawthorne tree that had grown up on the fence line between myself and my neighbor's property. My neighbor had set it on fire. The charred remains on my side is what drew my attention to it since it was a huge contrast to the green living trees around it. I thanked my neighbor for drawing my attention to the problem and set about ridding the charred remains on my side. One thorn got me through my work gloves and it hurt! Throughout that week if I bumped that finger or used it where I had been pricked it would remind me of that thorn.

Two weeks later, I was out among the fence line and discovered a green shoot coming from the charred trunk.

 

 “Oh no. We are not having you return.” I said to the tree. I cut the shoot and then added a little killer to the area I had just cut off. The next week, another shoot sprouted on another part of the trunk. This tree was not going to take “No!” for an answer. “What am I going to do?” I asked bemoaning the problem to my husband. “Just be persistent.” he advised. “You will get rid of it only if you are persistent.” So the battle began between me and the Hawthorne tree.

I think I gave it a month of me trimming off new shoots and adding killer to the spot of the new shoot. I had never forgotten the pain it had inflicted on my finger once and I was not going to have my neighbor or her children hurt by a Hawthorne tree that was thriving on my side of the fence. Whatever she had used had worked on her side. When asked she said she just set it on fire. I had the trunk and the more established root system.

I would have to go to the root of the problem. I learned a lot about the Hawthorne tree. It was set very deep on my side of the fence. I started to dig up the trunk and the root system. I am thankful I had gloves because I could feel pricks from the thorns even in parts of the root. Tendrils of roots almost like fine hair came out of the bigger roots. This tree had quite the support system in place and I had not even been aware of its existence!

As I was digging among the roots, pulling them out of the earth and putting them into yard waste bags I was reminded of a conversation I had about confessing sins. I remember that conversation because I was very focused on the different aspects of the Catholic Church.  In 2009, I was going through RCIA at my parish and I was blessed with getting additional instruction on the road with my job as a touring actress. There was a particular priest, who was in South Dakota where he had to travel and take care of parishioners in a few locations. I told him that I was learning about confession and that I was apprehensive about it. I had only seen glimpses of what it might be like in some movies. It is a Sacrament and it has a bit of mystery to it like all Sacraments. This priest assured me that there was nothing to fear and walked me through what the process would be like. He also said “I hope you go consistently to the Sacrament of Reconciliation because you will see more clearly the sins that you are struggling with in life. I offer spiritual direction to my parishioners and when they take up my offer we are able to work on finding the root of the sin that is troubling them. For some the root system of their sin is deep and very complex.”

Looking at my Hawthorne tree's root system, I remember thinking “Great. A metaphor for my sins.” All summer of 2020, I uprooted the root system and put it in the yard waste can.  I also continued to go to Reconciliation to deal with the thorns in my spiritual life.

It is now spring of 2021 and Holy Week!  The first spot I checked was the fence line where the Hawthorne tree had been. No shoots have sprouted! I have defeated the Hawthorne tree!!! Feeling victorious, I set about checking the rest of the yard.  I wack at weeds, clear away dead tree limbs, and weed the flower beds.  Then I turn my attention to the fence line that I share with my other next door neighbor. Sprouting as tall as me are six straight Hawthorne trees.

I have a sense that 2021 is going to be very busy.