Write a comprehensive paragraph (2 paragraphs) that describes your tree and why your tree is important to you; the description is the first rhetorical mode. After completing these two steps, please read the story “We All Need a Tree” below. Upon reading this story, write what your tree means to you now; this is called expressive writing. “We All Need a Tree” I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job, a flat tire made him lose an hour of work. Then, his electric drill quit, and his ancient one-ton truck refused to start. While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His face wreathed in smiles, and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. Afterward, he walked me to the car. We passed the tree, and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier. “Oh, that’s my trouble tree,” he replied. “I know I can’t help having troubles on the job, but one thing’s for sure, those troubles don’t belong in the house with my wife and the children. So, I just hang them on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then, in the morning, I pick them up, and there aren’t as many as I remember hanging up the night before.” This one was worth sharing. God Bless You. “Life may not be the party we had hoped; but while we are here, we might as well dance….We all need a Tree!”
