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When I was about 7 years old, I remember my Mother taking my then 10 year old Brother, David, out to the back yard one day and telling him that if he planted his few coins he had in the earth, a money tree would grow and he would have all the money he wanted.  Well, that day, my brother planted those coins and watered them ferverently in the hopes that a tree would appear shortly. 

Since I was very shy and not my mother's favorite child at that time, I looked on from a distance as he did that wondering what would grow in my Mothers verdant garden for my Brother.

 The next day we raced out to the garden to take a look and there it was.  A tree with coins and dollar bills hanging off that tree which was absolutely stunning in the bright sunlight.  It looked like a Christmas tree all lit up, only much better.  I thought to myself, holy cow, if that's what happens with just a few coins, I'm going to plant a whole bunch of coins in the garden tonight and see what happens for me.  While my Mom was taking a nap that afternoon,  I stole off to the garden with my fistful of coins, dug a hole with my small little hands and deposited my fistful of grimy little coins in the dirt and carefully covered it over.

 I never said a word to anyone because I didn't want anything or anyone to spoil my game and I went to bed that night thinking of all the yummy candy I could buy with my tree of coins and my head was filled with all kinds of delights I would have with my money tree.  I could hardly sleep with all the warm, fuzzy thoughts my tree would bring me.

 Before I barely opened my eyes that morning, I remembered what I had done the day before and I sprung out of bed and raced to the garden to see what God had created for me while I slept.  I knew that surely he would have given me a huge money tree because I had planted so many coins.  I raced to the spot where my coins were planted with care and what do you think I found?

Nothing!  That's right.  Absolutely nothing.  Nothing but what I had left the day before in the earth.  I cried and cried for hours.  I cried until I thought no tears were left in me.    I thought there must have been some mistake and God couldn't have forsaken me like that.  How could he not have grown a money tree for me?  I decided maybe he just didn't like me as much as he liked my Brother.  I decided really was a failure and couldn't grow anything.

I ran to tell my Mother what had happened.  I was devestated.  She told me flatly that God only gave out one money tree per family and my Brother had gotten it.  Too bad for little, little me.

For years and years I carried that pain with me.  One day I told a beautiful artist friend of mine the story thinking that if I did, she would totally understand and it would release the pain for me.  Obviously I realized my mistake in childhood, but it made the pain of what had happened no less harsh.  I felt better just getting my story off my chest and I forgot about the incident as best as I could. 

I went on in life to become the best landscape architect on the West Coast and I have created and continue to create stunning gardens for lots and lots of people.  The beauty I created allowed others to make money when they sold their homes and gave me the satisfaction of knowing I had created something for them that was cherished and loved.

One day last Christmas, I was invited to my artist friends house.  I walked into her living room and there in the middle of her room sitting on a table was the most beautiful, magical money tree I had ever seen.  With her artistic vision, she had created a flowering tree with coins and sparkly lights in the most beautiful vase I had ever seen.  It stood about three feet tall and everywhere you looked, money was covering the tree.  She told me that my story stuck with her and she wanted to finally give me my money tree to end the cycle that had started so many years ago.  As an artist, she had mended my soul and given me the gift of believing I could have abundance in my life again.

That tree sits in my house today on a table in my design studio.  Anyone who comes in feels free to leave coins or take them, whichever they need.  I put larger bills there and my 16 year old daughter who will never feel the pain that I went through, knows there is always abundance in her universe.  It comes from the money tree of course! 

God is good and I am in abundance always in every way.