Sugar Maple

A land flowing with milk and honey! Well, there are plenty of fresh milk here, but where is the honey? So far, we have not come across any honey bee farm in Happy Valley; although there was a swamp of hornets which decided to built a hive at our back porch. The hornet hive has since been removed by the pest controller.

Our house, nevertheless, is surrounded by maple trees. In early spring, the sweet sap of these trees flows abundantly , and is used to make delicious maple syrup for pancakes and waffles. We have been told to look out for the maple syrup tapping/pancake festival in Happy Valley in spring.

Besides producing syrup, the wood of the maple is also prized for furniture and flooring. Bowling alleys and bowling pins are both commonly manufactured from sugar maple. It is also the wood used for the flooring of basketball courts, including those used by NBA. Hence, trees, are like human beings. We are created to be productive and useful. If you wonder what is the shape of a mapletree leaf, look no further than the emblem on Canada's national flag.

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Young saplings: The maple trees around the house are quite tall and mature (approx. 20-25 metres). Underneath the mature trees, however, are many young saplings. Most of them will not reach their full potential because they live under the shades of the mature trees. Over time, their growth will be stunted but once they are exposed (i.e. when the mature trees are gone), the little ones will grow very fast to replace the fallen ones! Inspiration: For those who are starting their career and working under a "giant", wait for your time. With patience and preparation, you will one day become a "giant" too. Remember then to play your part as a mentor; shielding the saplings under your canopy until they are ready to take the sun squarely on their shoulders.

Maple Bonsai: On the left, is a very rare sight! It is a sapling of a maple tree I transplanted into a small pot! My very own version of a maple bonsai, which I can bring into the house when the weather turns nasty! Actually, I did this to remind me of a question I had posed to my students earlier this year, "what is the difference between a plant in a pot and a tree planted on the ground?" Let me share one response from a student:

Thus far, the education that we have undergone liken to plants in a nursery. We are all in a protected environment, nurtured and prepared for the working world where we will individually and independently take root to find our niche and reach our potential. Currently, we are in the transition stage and I wish to take full advantage of this last sheltered learning environment before embarking on the next phase of my life that I excitedly look upon!

Growing roots, building character: Another student came up with this interesting quote: “Everybody wants to be somebody; nobody wants to grow” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. I think it is true. We all want to be a tree that stand tall and mighty, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither (c.f. Psalms 1:3) But the secret is in their roots, which grow deep to draw vital minerals and water, and provide a strong anchor in times of adversity. But not many of us like to grow roots, because it is hard work breaking new grounds and it goes unnoticed for many years!