The Sequoia tree was once a beautiful giant tree. When you looked at it, the tree seemed to be looming gracefully over you. With its beautiful lush green leaves and its rusty brown bark, it by far beat all the other trees in height.

Its skin was furry, warm and when you touched it, you could feel a quiet energy flowing through his trunk, you could almost imagine his heartbeat.

Our new family friend Sarah Fletcher tried so very hard to stop them from savaging the beautiful creature for two years. Sarah put her whole heart into trying to stop them from cutting the tree. Sarah fought a good fight, but they won and chopped him down.

It was heartbreaking to see the poor Sequoia tree getting removed. They just wanted the space, that’s all they wanted. Was it worth it? No, it was not! I guess some people just don’t care. All they really care about is the money.

The day I heard this story was the day before the tree was cut. It took 100 years for this majestic creature to grow, and took only 15 minutes for human hands and machines to cut it down. In those 100 years, the sun caressed his branches, the rain fed him water, the animals laid their eggs there and scampered up his trunk, it was peaceful for 100 years.

But why now? Why did they have to kill the baby tree? Yes ,in tree years, he was still a child. He could’ve grown for many, many more years. But they didn’t care. They said they needed space to put their house there. But the question is, why couldn’t they replace the house? And that is how they killed him.

The builder said, “Money doesn’t grow on trees, and for every house to be built, there has to be a tree being cut.”

There will be a house standing in place where a 100-year-old Sequoia tree once stood.

And I will keep him, this quiet peaceful giant in my memories.

Goodbye Sequoia tree, goodbye.

Elizabeth De Broglio

Mercer Island, age 9