Personal Artifact Essay
‘La mata de mango’
The mango tree that lies at the center of all important conversations and reunions in my family is this one. A seemingly huge tree is probably the most important artifact in my whole family. A tree that gives us not only fruit, but creates a space for hanging out and spending quality time. This tree is older than the two houses that flank it. Yet most of the meetings and family talks happen under that tree, in a plastic chair or in a rocking chair. Everytime my parents mention a trip to DR, it is not the resorts and beaches they speak most highly about. What they always look forward to the most is “sentado abajo de la mata de mango”, “sitting under the mango tree”. It’s a piece of our family that no one even really acknowledges, it is as constant in our family as our last name. It’s so important that we even held a 50 year anniversary party for my grandparents, and low and behold the foliage from the mango tree made it possible. Every day, no matter how hot the day, you will see our family and friends gathered under the tree, almost like presents under a pine. I just can’t imagine my home in DR without that tree in the backyard. Before, when I was younger there was a homemade basketball hoop and court under the tree as well. It was perfect. The kids from around the neighborhood would come over and play with my older brother as I watched. The positioning of the court under the tree allowed for the perfect amount of sunlight to peer through, and the leaves were high enough to not interfere with the game. There are so many blessings this tree brings to our family, it really allows for endless possibilities under the tree. The tree is so massive, that when I first googled Mango tree, I was genuinely confused. For the most part I did not see a single tree even come close to ours. That’s when I realized we really had struck gold with this tree. It’s a tree on land that I hope lives on forever in our family and the traditions of hanging out under it never stop. Recently my grandfather who owned the land that this tree is on, passed away. However everyone that had a claim to the land, agreed that the tree and the surrounding area should be untouched. I think that was the first time when my dad and my aunts and uncles, along with everyone else, really saw how great and important this tree was. When he passed, my parents took an emergency flight to DR and you can bet that the place they all mostly mourned at was under the tree that sits between my grandfathers and parents’ homes. Although a somber time, I was happy to hear the tree would stay alive and keep my grandfather’s spirit within.
