You Need to Find Your Old Hollow Tree

You Need to Find Your Old Hollow Tree

From Echoes from an Old Hollow Tree by Ryan B. Anderson

March 16, 2026 · 10 min

About this episode

The episode reflects on the significance of an old hollow tree as a symbol of childhood, family traditions, and personal reflection.

There is a tree at the entrance to the forest. It is very old and contains a large hollow in its center. As a boy, I would stop at the old hollow tree, pick up a stone from the path, and toss it into the dark opening before continuing on into the green. At first it was a game, the sort of thing children invent through their good little ways. I liked the sound of the stone rattling down into the cavity. I liked the thought that the tree was keeping count. I liked having a threshold to cross before disappearing into the woods. I do it still now. The game has remained, though as I grow older the character of it has changed a bit. The old game of dexterity feels more like a toll I pay before entering the forest. Some days it feels like prayer. Some days it feels like a bead slid on an abacus, a stone for every entrance into the wood, a stone for every afternoon spent wandering beneath the canopy, a stone for every small return to the same beloved place. I do this old ritual from my youth now with my wife and little girls and it has become a tradition that belongs to our family. I have said more than once to my wife that the old hollow tree looks near the end of its life. One day it…

People in this episode

Host: Ryan B. Anderson

Topics covered

  • childhood memories
  • nature
  • family traditions
  • reflection
  • rituals

Keywords

  • hollow tree
  • childhood
  • tradition
  • nature
  • reflection

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