My grandfather passed away a few years ago, but he was a very handy man and some of his creations always made us laugh. He had made sunglasses with no lenses and taped flashlights to the sides for working under sinks, that type of stuff. He was friendly, humble, and would give you the shift off of his back. I never saw him with more than 4 people in a social setting, but his funeral had over 400 attendees. They all had kind and funny stories about my grandpa. But the best story was the story of my grandfather's Money Tree.
He lived on about three acres, with the back acre all wooded. When my mom, aunts, and uncles were younger they would come into the house now and then asking if they could buy something. My grandmother would remind them how hard my grandfather worked, how important having savings was, and finish with, "You know, money doesn't just grow on trees!" They would head back outside and play, but any request for money always ended with that same line about money not growing on trees. My grandfather answered with his silence.
After a few years of her repeating it, my then 11-year old uncle came downstairs to ask for money to buy something. "You know, money doesn't just grow on trees!"
This time, my grandpa piped up. "Actually son, it does. Go up to the shed, then maybe about fifteen feet into the woods, you'll find our money tree. Just take whatever you'd like." Sure enough, my uncle came back into the house yelling, "Mom! Mom! I found it, but I can't get the money out! I need help!"
My grandpa had taken a bunch of quarters, nickels, pennies, and dimes, and nailed them about 1/3 of the way into a tree. After a while the tree grew tight around them but the coins remained exposed. Try as they might the kids could never get any money out of the money tree. None of their friends could ever pick the money tree either.
Yep, my grandfather is the only person I've ever known who had a money tree.
