The Raphael Family: Mable the Maple Tree

Mable the maple tree is our tree in our front yard. Named by the previous home owners, we kept on with the name because we knew that tree had special meaning for the people living here before us.

Mable as silly as it sounds has filled a special place in my heart as well. Two years ago on October 30th my Papa passed away. I remember laying in bed that evening listening to the rain pitter patter on my roof, and drifting off to sleep in such agony and sadness. The next morning when I awoke, I saw a bright light coming in underneath my bedroom door. I thought maybe Jasen had left the hall light on but when I opened the door I realized that it was light coming in from outside. I went to our front window to open the blinds. When I did the sun was shining, there was not a cloud in the sky, and Mable the maple was the most beautiful color yellow, stunning, bright, and instantly brought comfort to my heart. You see in that very moment I knew that my Papa was shining down on me from heaven.

This year as October 30th was approaching I found myself in such a sad state all over again. I looked out the window often as the day approached waiting to see if Mable would be yellow...almost waiting to see if my Papa would speak to me. The morning of the 31st I pulled out of the driveway and my headlights bounced off the tree as I backed out. Shining back at me was the yellow leaves I had been yearning to see. That afternoon I rounded the corner to my house to see that once again Mable had in fact turned yellow, and once again was shining bright... and again in that moment I felt a sense of peace over me, as I knew my Papa was shining down on me.

I quickly got Karter dressed and rushed to take some pictures of the beautiful fall leaves. I found myself sentimental as I watched my son play in the leaves, and in awe of his curiosity of what the bright maple leaves were. In the same way that I feel that Papa was speaking to me through one of natures beautiful things..I believe he was speaking to Karter as well. The pictures speak for themselves.