The Tree of Life

Brother.

Mother.

It was they who led me to your door.

The nuns taught us there were two ways through life -

the way of nature...

and the way of grace.

You have to choose which one you'll follow.

Grace doesn't try to please itself.

Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked.

Accepts insults and injuries.

Ooh!

Nature only wants to please itself.

Bless, O Lord, this food -

Get others to please it too.

Your loving and faithful service.

Likes to lord it over them.

Bless these boys.

To have its own way.

It finds reasons to be unhappy

when all the world is shining around it...

and love is smiling through all things.

They taught us that no one who loves the way of grace

ever comes to a bad end.

I will be true to you...

whatever comes.

Oh, God!

- - My son.

I just wanna die,

to be with him.

He's in God's hands now.

He was in God's hands the whole time.

Wasn't he?

My hope.

My God.

"I shall fear no evil."

"Fear no evil, for you are with me."

What did you gain?

"Be not far from me, for trouble is near."

Go on now. We're all right.

We're all right.

Thank you. Thank you.

You have your memories of him and, uh -.

You have to be strong now and -.

I know, uh, the pain will -

it will pass in time, you know?

It might seem... hard, my saying that,

but it's true.

I don't want it to.

Life goes on.

People pass along.

Nothing stays the same.

You still got the other two.

- - The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away.

That's the way he is.

He sends flies to wounds

that he should heal.

- -

I never got a chance to tell him how sorry I was.

One night he...

punched him - himself in the face for no reason.

He was sitting next to me at the piano, and I criticized the way he turned the pages.

I made him feel shame.

My shame.

That poor boy.

That poor boy.

How did you come to me?

In what shape?

What disguise?

I see the child I was.

I see my brother.

True.

Kind.

He died when he was 19.

Just check this - this one against this.

She wants to get back together.

Chapter's closed. Story's been told.

What are you gonna do?

Experiment.

When you're young, it's all about your career.

You don't understand anything.

I just feel like I'm bumping into walls.

I don't know how to be fair.

The world's gone to the dogs.

People are greedy. Keep getting worse.

Years later -

They try to get you into their hands.

Drifting back into the same swamp.

Hey, Dad. I'm sorry I said what I said.

Yeah. Yeah. I think about him every day.

I just shouldn't have said what I did, and I'm sorry.

No, it's just, oh... this day.

- What are you thinkin'? - I know you did everything you could.

And only two of those were turned down by the client.

One of them -

How did I lose you?

Wandered?

Forgot you?

Find me.

How did she bear it?

Mother.

- -

Was I false to you?

Lord.

Why?

Where were you?

Did you know?

Who are we to you?

Answer me.

We cry to you.

My soul.

My son.

Hear us.

Light of my life.

I search for you.

My hope.

My child.

You spoke to me through her.

You spoke with me from the sky.

The trees.

Before I knew I loved you,

believed in you.

When did you first touch my heart?

Hang on. Here we go.

And manfully to fight under his banner

against sin, the world, and the devil.

We had the commander over for dinner. This little devil bit him right on the ankle.

Mama!

Me!

Rhinoceros.

Two alligator.

Two alligators.

Kangaroo.

Kangaroo.

Jump.

Jump. Jump.

Jump.

Jump.

- -

Ah!

Sweetheart.

Shh! Please.

- -

I know -.

No! No.

It's mine!

You found me.

You'll be grown before that tree is tall.

Blue. Far.

You.

Were you afraid?

Come here.

- - Come here.

Now, come back here, Son. Stay out of there. That's the Spencers' yard, okay?

You see this line?

Let's not cross it. Do you understand?

Hmm? Do you understand?