#29: Plant a Tree on/for my Birthday

Completed: 01/30/2010

My first goal accomplished! WOOHOO! Let me tell you how this came to be!

As part of one of my goals, I signed up for a volunteer event (in March) with the Memorial Park Conservancy for a Park Fun Run. This is part of goal # 16 (make a difference in at least one person's life). The best way to make a difference in someone's life is to be there for them, for a particular event, a moment in time that means the world to them. How better to do that than to volunteer for special events?! Also, Im a sucker for volunteering for marathons, 5k's, MS150, etc. It is inspiring in ways you cant even describe, LUV IT!!!

Once  I volunteered for the Fun Run, I received an email confirming the date time and my position. The email also contained a flyer from the MP Conservancy about future events. Wouldnt you know it?? they had a tree planting event the following week! I was thrilled and thankful that opportunities where presenting themselves that would allow me to fulfill my goals. I immediately sent out my request to volunteer and shortly after I received my instructions.

The day of the event I got up early and super happy! I wanted to be there early and ready to plant my tree but then, the funniest thing happen! I could not find the place!! Oddly enough, I saw some people planting trees accross the highway, but I thought "that cant be them??" So after much circling around I decided to join those folks. Once I got there I asked "is this the even for the MP Conservancy"? The nice lady replied, "no", this is for "Trees for Houston". I knew it wasnt my event, but I thought, well I might as well stay and plant a tree. It wasnt long after I had that thought that the same nice lady said "we are done planting trees" but thanks for coming by. Suddenly, the feeling of failure took over...but not for long. I walked back to my car and decided to try again. This time, I found the volunteer event...yuppy!!! Even though I had passed through the same spot an hour before and nobody was there, but it was because I was too early!

So now Im there and immediately walked over to sign up to plant my tree. Then came the next challenge, no shovels! URGH! So I waited and waited, nothing. Everybody had a shovel except for me, yet I stood stilld and held on to my tree for dear life. Finally they sent me to do something else in the meantime, but I knew if I was patient I would eventually plant my tree. And so it was, I found a shovel laying on a corner, ran to it, grabbed it and said "here comes goal #29!!!"

All that to say, I planted not only 1 but 2 trees. Meet some nice people along the way and helped even if in a very small way the environment.  I named my trees "Hope" & "Faith", and I will come back to see how they are growing through the year as I come back every week to Memorial Park to train for my 5K run in October. No doubt they (Hope & Faith) will outlast me, that is at least my hope.

Not only did I not give up but I learned a little more about patience and how it can take you far in all you want to accomplish.

Check out the pics! "This is my tree HOPE!" Located @ "Balls Field" in Memorial Park