a death in the family

Kari and I headed north on 5th Street and saw the crowd gathered. Two parents, two grandparents, three small children, all gathered around, to witness the end, and send the beloved member of the family off onto the next adventure. We stopped, touched, just a bit, to watch the intimate scene. BRRRRRRRRR, the chainsaw cut off another branch, then another. They fell with a hollow thud on the ground. Again and again, until just the stump remained, the family all still gathered around, solemnly watching the end of the life with their beloved tree. With deep breaths, we look at each other and walk on, slowly shaking our heads with the scene we have just witnessed.