This morning on my walk to the car I noticed the old maple tree on Third Street had been completely transformed. It wasn’t just a tree anymore, it looked like a little winter shop. Hats and scarves hanging neatly from clothespins, each one sealed in a ziplock bag to keep them safe. A handwritten note at the top read, “Free hats & scarves. Feel free to take one! Please leave clothespins!!”
I stood there for a while just taking it in. The first thing that caught my eye was a chunky yellow knit hat that must have taken hours to make. Next was a soft pink scarf, the most perfect shade I’ve ever seen. Then a blue hat that looked like it would fit my teenage son perfectly.
What really got me was the care put into it all. Someone didn’t just toss old things in a bag and call it charity. Every single piece was wrapped with love, protected from the weather, displayed with patience. It was kindness, but also art.
My neighbor Betty walked up with her dog and told me she saw the woman who set it all up. An older lady, maybe in her seventies, pulling a wagon full of handmade treasures. We both just stood there like we were staring at a little miracle in the middle of our neighborhood.
I started knitting a few years ago when my mom was sick. It gave me something to focus on during those long hospital days. Now I’ve got shelves of yarn and a small shop online where I sell baby blankets and mittens. Seeing that tree made me realize I’ve been holding back. I could be doing the same thing, putting something soft and warm into the hands of someone who really needs it.
I didn’t take anything from the tree today. Someone out there needs those hats and scarves more than I do. But I did take a picture, because it reminded me that goodness is still alive and quiet acts of love are happening all around us.
Going home tonight to cast on some hats of my own. Maybe one day I’ll find a tree too.
Credit to the original soul who started this. ❤️