Living Together

On a street near my house, there was a cherry tree. Although I have no idea on its age, it clearly had been there for quite a while. Every spring, it joined with the other cherry trees flowering and creating a beautiful canopy to walk under. 

One day I glanced up. I must have tilted my head differently because I realized that there in crock of the branches grew a birch tree. The crock was about five feet off the ground so the birch did not reach the ground. This was not a sapling or young birch. It, too, had been growing for quite a while. The two trees seemed so happy together. 

The cherry would flower and change to leaves. The birch would fill in the spaces with its leaves. For many years they grew together. Then a storm came with very strong winds and overnight everything changed. 

Now all that remains is the stump. I am eager to see if a shot comes out of the stump. And if it does, will it be a cherry or a birch tree?