text: Age 4: Anna ran beneath the dreamy, dangling branches of her favorite tree she affectionately called Willa. She loved jumping up to try to grab the willows as the wind blew them around. The sound of her giggles echoed across the prairie grasses surrounding the tree, and the birds happily chirped back at her. Anna had been visiting this tree from the time she could walk. Nearly every day her mom would sit on the back porch and watch her wander down the hill, disappearing beneath the willows. Anna treated the tree like it was her favorite pet, gently talking to it, petting its branches and leaves. After tiring herself out from trying to catch the swaying limbs, she would lean her little body against the big trunk where there was a perfect notch for her. She would close her eyes, listening to the breeze passing through, and her imagination would take her to magical places filled with adventures, transporting her from her simple childhood to a land of dreams. Today, as she sat there with Willa, she rode a unicorn named Bluebell across the sky, lightly floating among the pillowy clouds. Bluebell’s sparkling mane tickled her neck as they danced on the endless blue horizon. They sang a song about rainbows and princesses, Anna belting the words out from her spot beneath the tree, so engrossed in her whimsical world that she forgot about the real world around her. Her mom smiled from the deck as she listened to her daughter sing loudly and confidently. Anna finished her song and opened her eyes, turning to give WIlla a hug as if thanking her for the beautiful escape today. Age 15: Anna carried her backpack heavily on her back. As she ducked under Willa’s branches she let her bag fall to the ground as she sat against the strong, reassuring body of her favorite tree. She didn’t even stop to say hi to her mom when she got off the bus, she came straight here. Sometimes Willa could comfort her more than the people around her. Today was one of those days. School sucked. Her friends sucked. Her parents sucked. Life sucked. She sat there hugging her knees thinking about the embarrassment of the day. At lunch her friends talked her into going over to Dylan, the boy who everyone secretly and not-so-secretly wanted to date. She sat behind him in math class one semester so he actually did know her name, and she swore he would occasionally smile at her in the hallway. She was feeling confident in her cute skirt and jean jacket today, so she bravely left the comfort of her friends and walked toward him. As she got closer, his eyes met hers and she lifted up her hand to give him a cute wave. Her hand got caught on her purse that was draped across her body, dumping everything out for all the world to see. She stood there mortified as she saw tampons scatter across the lunch room floor including one that landed right next to Dylan’s shoe. She quickly picked them up and ran out the doors, watching her friends and the rest of the school laugh at her as she passed them. She felt her stomach churn as she relived the horrifying day. Wanting to escape, she did the only thing she could think to do. She leaned back against Willa, closing her eyes, listening to the willow branches flutter, the breeze gently caressing her face. The sensation was so peaceful her mind was immediately carried to an enchanting place. She was in an art gallery surrounded by giant canvases adorned with explosively colorful, lively paintings that were the result of her brilliant mind. She stood tall in the middle of the room, center of attention, dressed in a glamorous red silk dress, her hair pulled tightly back in a chignon. Her soul felt full of fiery passion and confidence as she modestly celebrated her own artwork. Admirers greeted her with the trepidation of approaching a celebrity, but she received them with kindness and poise leaving them dazzled by her eloquence. There was no one, no criticism, no rejection that could dull her inner glow, instead it was quite the opposite. Her beautiful bright light from within her radiated to all those around her, illuminating them with joy. As the 15-year-old Anna basked in the warmth of the self-confidence she had cultivated with the help of Willa, she gently opened her eyes, taking in her current place and time. She patted her hands down her body, hoping to be wearing that silk dress, but instead feeling the rough jean jacket. She wasn’t disappointed though. Someday that would be her. She wrapped her arms around Willa, placing her cheek against the cool bark before heading back to her house. Age 35: Anna pushed away the branches of the willow tree so she could find her way toward the trunk, carrying her bag of art supplies over her shoulder. She was desperate for inspiration, feeling so deep in a creative lull she thought she should give up on this crazy dream. Five years ago she got a big break when one of her paintings snuck into the background of a TV show that was being filmed across the city. People found out her name and she commissioned pieces left and right for over three years. That wave had passed, and now she was back to teaching art at a community college. Her parents still lived in the same house, so when she came by to check on them she always spent time with Willa knowing everything in life was escapable under the whimsical branches of her friend. She smiled as she saw the worn out patch of bark from years of sitting in the same spot, daydreaming. She sat down, feeling the familiarity of it, running her hands through the dirt around her legs, ruts from where she had done this so many times before. She dug out her paints and brushes, laying her blank canvas on her lap hoping time with Willa would stir her creative spirit. She watched the branches dance with the wind, closing her eyes as she allowed her body to sway like the willows, floating her into a different world. It was always somewhere unexpected, and today she was opening the patio doors of her seaside bungalow in Italy, smelling the salty Mediterranean air as the sunshine warmed her face. She walked back into her bedroom there, putting her favorite summer hat on. It was the perfect accompaniment to her lovely blue and white floral dress that fit her body just so. She put her purse on her shoulder as she slipped on her sunny yellow shoes and headed out the door. She strolled down the cobblestone streets with no plans except to do the things she loved. She opened the door to her favorite cafe, smiling as the bells jingled to greet her. Maria handed her a croissant and cafe au lait with the familiarity of having this same interaction millions of times before. They warmly chatted about life for a few minutes before another customer arrived. Anna sipped her favorite drink as she left the cafe, roaming the streets, entranced by the pastel colors of each building she passed. She found her favorite bench right by the harbor and savored her croissant as she stared at the beautiful blue sky, speckled with gorgeous white clouds. She thrived on slow living, finding joy in simplicity, fully at peace with her croissant, perfect coffee, and dear friends. Her hands gripped her paintbrush as she opened her eyes, still tasting the flaky pastry in her mouth. She could easily feel the direction she was supposed to take with her art, and she affectionately patted one of WIlla’s low branches as she started painting the perfectly imperfect lines of a cobblestone street. Age 103: Anna’s wooden cane swept back the bright green willows so she could enter the sacred space of her oldest friend. It took some convincing, but her family had eventually agreed to fly her from Italy to this small town in Georgia they had never been to. Anna had been there hundreds of times of course, but her family’s connection to this town ended with her stories of her life beneath the willows. To her grown kids and grandkids, her tales about Willa seemed like fables from an active imagination, but that was just because they were too young to experience the magic of this willow tree before they moved overseas many years ago. Now, as she slowly lowered her fragile body into the nook made specially for her, she knew she was right where she was supposed to be, everything felt exactly as she imagined it would. She let a handful of dirt fall through her fingers, rubbed the bark of her dear companion, and listened as the willows whispered with the wind. As the gentle breeze caressed her face, she closed her eyes, feeling the enchantment swirl through her body. She was lifted onto a cloud, looking over all the things she loved, pieces of her life dotted throughout the world below. She watched a newly married couple hang a painting of Italian cobblestone above their fireplace, smiling at each other with love in their eyes. Her granddaughter Nadia pulled a red silk dress from her closet, holding it up to her petite body. Anna saw a snapshot of herself wearing that dress when she was younger in the corner of Nadia’s mirror. Nadia picked up the picture, holding it next to her heart as if feeling her grandmother watching her in this moment. She saw her family walking down her favorite cobblestone streets outside their villa. The kids played in the piazza as they savored the croissants Maria’s grandson made them from the cafe they all visited every day. As she let the joy of watching her family live the most beautiful life flow through her body, she felt someone take her hand. She looked over and her husband was smiling at her like the first time they met. She had been waiting for this moment for ten years. A tear gently fell down her cheek as she leaned her head on his shoulder, cupping his hand in hers, feeling at home. “Thank you, Willa,” Anna said, filled with gratitude realizing that this was her final adventure, only this time she gets to stay here in this magic forever.