Years ago, a neighbor told me an interesting story that recently came to my mind and reminds me of our work tending portfolios. 

Here is the tale:

One year Myrtle planted a pink dogwood tree in a very prominent place in her yard. While she was not an expert in trees or horticulture, she had a close friend, named Holly, with a degree in forestry from a prominent university. Holly assured her this was a great idea and that long-term, the tree would beautifully set off her home and landscaping when it blossomed each Spring. 

Once the tree became established and at the appropriate time, Holly insisted that she go ahead and give the tree a good pruning. On the appointed day, Myrtle kept busy with her household chores and let Holly do her thing, since she was the expert. Well, when she finished the pruning, Myrtle was shocked. Her dogwood tree was practically a stick! She could not believe the severe pruning of her tree. Worse, one of her neighbors openly mocked her for having giant stick in her yard. Oh, the embarrassment!

While this episode didn’t end the friendship between Myrtle and Holly, Myrtle was very guarded. Did her friend really know what she was doing? Had she made a mistake in trusting Holly? As her concern grew, Myrtle finally reached out to talk about the condition of the tree and whether it would ever grow or bloom. Holly continued to assure her that the tree was fine, and that the pruning would help the tree grow even more beautiful in the years to come.

Well, Spring came after one year, and the dogwood developed few new branches, but no flowers. Myrtle was not happy. Holly continued to insist that the tree was fine and pruned the tree even more at the end of the summer. Then winter came and an unusual ice storm accompanied by a deep freeze hit the region. Most neighbors had damage to their landscaping—including trees and perennials. It was so bad that once again, when Spring came, the dogwood didn’t blossom.

After the second Spring without blossoms, the tree was very strange looking. Myrtle started getting snide remarks from her neighbors that it was an eyesore. Pressure started mounting, and the neighbor that originally mocked her was now relentless. He told her that it was different this time, and that she just needed to dig the tree up and do something else. He suggested she try growing exotic orchids, because the world had changed, and the conditions were no longer favorable for her to grow her dogwood tree.

Lucky for her, she stuck by her friend. When Spring came, her patience paid off. The pink dogwood was beautiful! It was thick and lush, and it produced an abundance of blossoms. Myrtle’s tree was once again the talk of the neighborhood, but now it was compliments and kudos.  It was so stunning, that Myrtle’s gorgeous pink dogwood tree was featured in the local news. Cars would slowly drive by to admire the beautiful tree. Noticeably absent was the neighbor that had been pressuring her to remove the tree. He was nowhere to be found.

Myrtle called Holly and reported back to her how beautiful the tree was. She gushed with appreciation and thanks that the tree turned out to be everything Holly told her it would be. Holly did not seem surprised at all. She knew that with proper attention, and time, the tree would blossom beautifully for years to come.

The Tale of a Dogwood Tree © 2022 Kristina B. Bolhouse. All rights reserved.

If there are elements of this story that resonate with you, we hope you will reach out to us. As always, we are here to serve you.

Kristina Bolhouse, CPA/PFS, CFP®

Vice President/Shareholder

© 2022 The Arkansas Financial Group, Inc., All rights reserved.

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