The Answer Next Door
One afternoon, as I watered the front flowerbeds, my neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, walked by. She was in her seventies, always wearing a sunhat and carrying a little basket of vegetables from her garden.
I waved and decided to ask the question that had been burning in my mind.
“Can I ask you something?” I said, pointing toward the tree. “What’s with the bottles?”
She paused, then smiled knowingly. “Ah. You found yourself a bottle tree.”
I must have looked confused, because she set her basket down and came closer.
“They’ve been around for generations,” she explained. “Some folks say they trap bad luck or wandering spirits. Others believe they’re a symbol of hope and protection. But for many of us… it’s a way of remembering loved ones.”
Her voice softened. “When the light shines through the glass, it feels like a reminder that those we love are never really gone. Their memory lives on in small, beautiful ways.”
