Memories From The Woods

Have you ever left your mark on a tree? My parents did when they started courting back in the 20's. They were young and the knife was dull; but their initials, as well as their marriage, held together until death parted them in old age. Their lives and the tree stayed on the original farm which was staked out from the government several generations before them. We grew up with the same soil under our feet. I loved to walk into the woods and look at the tree with the heart that encircled their initials. An arrow going in one side and out the other was carved to hold it all in place. I wonder if it served as a reminder of their committment to each other, especially since there was no money for wedding bands. (This tree was in the heart of Houston Woods.)